Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's secret wedding 'lie' exposed by senior bishop
Meghan Markle sparked a media frenzy with her assertion that she and Prince Harry had their actual nuptials three days before the publicised Royal ceremony.
In an explosive interview with Oprah Winfrey, the Duchess of Sussex claimed they exchanged vows on May 16, 2018, in a clandestine garden ceremony. "Three days before our wedding, we got married," Meghan disclosed.
According to Meghan, the Archbishop of Canterbury officiated their private wedding in the garden of Kensington Palace ahead of the official date. In the same 2021 interview, Harry corroborated, mentioning it was an intimate affair with "just the three of us," present.
However, this account has been met with scepticism, reports the Mirror. The Archbishop later clarified that the couple's legitimate marriage took place on May 19.
Speaking to La Repubblica, he said: "I had a number of private and pastoral meetings with the Duke and Duchess before the wedding.
"The legal wedding was on the Saturday. I signed the wedding certificate, which is a legal document, and I would have committed a serious criminal offence if I signed it knowing it was false."
He added: "So you can make what you like about, but the legal wedding was on the Saturday."
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Doubts have also been cast regarding the couple's assertion of a garden wedding. First off, for a marriage to be legally recognised in the UK, at least two witnesses must be present, which contradicts Prince Harry's assertion that it was just him, Meghan, and the Archbishop.
Moreover, an Anglican wedding has to take place in a church or a specially licensed venue to be considered valid.
Following their interview with Oprah, Harry and Meghan issued a statement to set the record straight.
Their spokesperson stated that the couple "privately exchanged personal vows a few days before their official/legal wedding on May 19."
The Royal nuptials of Meghan and Harry were held on May 19, 2018, at St George's Chapel within Windsor Castle, where they exchanged vows amidst their loved ones. In a touching moment, Meghan was escorted down the aisle by Harry's father, now King Charles.
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