Harry and Meghan’s legal marriage was a royal ceremony, not a secret event, Archbishop of Canterbury said



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LONDON – Prince Harry and Meghan’s interview with Oprah Winfrey has captivated millions of viewers and left the royal family grappling with allegations of racism as the world grapples with every explosive claim.

But Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, also raised her eyebrows, suggesting the couple had secretly married three days before the extravagant ceremony which was broadcast around the world.

On Tuesday, the man who married them addressed the issue publicly for the first time, saying it wasn’t and the big royal event on May 19, 2018 was in fact the real one.

“The legal marriage took place on Saturday,” Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, who is the head of the Church of England, told Italian newspaper La Repubblica.

“I signed the marriage certificate, which is a legal document, and I would have committed a serious criminal offense if I had signed it knowing it was false.”

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In the bomb-laden interview that aired on CBS earlier this month, Meghan told Oprah: “Three days before our wedding we got married – no one knows.”

“We called the archbishop and we just said look, this thing, this show is for the world but we want our union between us,” she said.

She said it was “just the two of us in our backyard with the Archbishop of Canterbury”. Harry added that it was “just the three of us”.

This has led commentators to question whether such a ceremony would have been legal, given that under English law it would require witnesses and take place in a registered location.

Following Welby’s comments, NBC News reached out to representatives for Harry and Meghan by email, but they declined to immediately comment on the case.

The detail of the wedding was just a moment in a lengthy interview that sparked weeks of recriminations. Meghan has painted the palace as deeply disconnected, indifferent to sanity and unfriendly – and even an accomplice – to the racism that they say has driven them out of the country

Buckingham Palace issued a response on behalf of Queen Elizabeth II, expressing concern and sadness over Harry and Meghan’s account of their experience. According to the statement, “although some memories may vary,” these matters would be dealt with in private by the family.

Harry’s brother Prince William has dismissed the race allegations, telling reporters in London earlier this month: “We really are not a racist family.”

The Sussexes finalized their separation from the royal family last month a year after they ‘stepped back’ from public service and moved to America as the fairytale wedding turned into a nightmare.

The couple announced on Valentine’s Day that they were expecting their second child, months after Meghan revealed she had miscarried.

Harry, 36, is set to become the Impact Director of Silicon Valley startup BetterUp Inc., a San Francisco-based health technology company that provides professional and mental health coaching. ,



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