Meghan Markle, 39, opened up about many things during her bombshell interview with TV legend Oprah Winfrey, including a secret wedding ceremony.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle also claimed that they got married secretly in a private “garden wedding” days before their fancy royal wedding.
The story has been debunked by Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, who issued a statement saying it was nothing but a “private conversation.”
Rev Edwards, the vicar at St Matthew’s Church, confirmed Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, did share a half-truth by saying: “Justin had a private conversation with the couple in the garden about the wedding, but I can assure you, no wedding took place until the televised national event. Justin does not do private weddings. Meghan is an American; she does not understand.”
Rev Edwards also stated that Meghan Markle’s exaggerated comment has created chaos for couples trying to get married amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Hundreds of couples have reached out to the church asking to have a private wedding ceremony in a backyard or garden like Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
Rev Edwards said he had to turn the unwed couples away and added: “It puts us, priests, in a difficult position on what constitutes a Church of England wedding. Should there be witnesses and licensing and legality, or is it now just an ad hoc arrangement with members of the clergy? Can we now do private weddings without witnesses in our back gardens?”
The religious man also called out Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby for not clarifying the situation.
He stated: “Justin saying he refuses to comment is not helpful to the rest of us clergy and our own policies and practices. I have had people ask me during lockdown if they could have a private wedding, and I have had to explain that would not be a legal wedding and not according to canon law. I think we need a clarifying statement – we need to know what our policies and procedures are. It can’t appear to be one rule for one and another rule for another.”
The Archbishop of Canterbury has made it clear that he would not share further comments on Meghan’s interview because it is a private matter.
British law experts have said that the garden wedding ceremony that took place “is unlikely to have been legally binding.”
The media is still looking for more answers after the sit-down.
