In this widely-discussed interview, the Duchess of Sussex disclosed that she and Prince Harry had a private backyard wedding before their public royal ceremony on May 19th. However, the Archbishop clarified that the legal wedding, recognized by law, took place on the scheduled Saturday. He emphasized that he personally signed the marriage certificate, a legally binding document, and would have committed a serious criminal offense if he had knowingly endorsed a fake marriage.
Furthermore, the Archbishop revealed that Meghan had made an unusual request during the official wedding ceremony. She asked him to refer to her and Prince Harry as "Megan and Harry" in their vows, rather than using their legal names, Rachel and Henry. The use of correct Christian names is a legal requirement in marriage ceremonies.
It's important to note that Meghan and Harry can now renew their marriage vows, but the issue of legal names remains significant. Meghan's legal name is Rachel Megan Markle, and she has often chosen to use her middle name more publicly. Similarly, Harry's full name is Prince Henry Charles Albert David of Wales, but he is commonly referred to as Harry.
Interestingly, previous royal weddings, such as Prince Charles's marriage to Diana and Prince William's wedding to Catherine, also involved the use of full legal names in their vows. Meghan's use of "Megan" and Harry's use of "Harry" deviated from this tradition.
In summary, Archbishop Welby's decision to invalidate the Sussexes' marriage was influenced by Meghan's use of false legal names in their vows, as well as her request to use non-legal names during the wedding ceremony, which violated legal requirements. These revelations have led to discussions and comparisons with previous royal weddings regarding the use of full legal names in marriage ceremonies.
