The saga of our least favorite couple continues with yet another “oops, we’ve made a mess” moment—this time involving none other than Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury. The same Archbishop who once held the moral compass of the Church of England steady has now taken a major tumble into the Markle trap, and it’s just as cringeworthy as you might expect.
Back in May 2018, Welby was tasked with officiating the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. Normally, this would be a solemn and dignified occasion for any cleric. But when it comes to the Duke and Duchess of Delusion, things are never that simple. The wedding wasn’t just a ceremony—it became a full-blown royal spectacle, and Welby, for reasons only he can explain, found himself headfirst in it.
In the months leading up to the wedding, Welby—who was supposed to maintain the calm neutrality of a seasoned religious leader—was spending more and more time with the couple. Before long, he wasn't just the man who signed the wedding certificate. Oh no, he became besties with the Sussexes. They bonded over, presumably, deeply intellectual conversations about being famous and misunderstood. He became their confidant, their counselor, and their moral compass—or at least, that’s what he thought.
As time went on, Welby seemed to get more and more caught up in their world of confusion and self-absorption. He even made a rare public appearance in 2019, gushing over Meghan, calling her a “person of profound humanity.” Because, of course, who wouldn't want to be praised for their humanity by the Archbishop while simultaneously trashing the very institution that gave them everything?
Let’s not forget his unforgettable act of dedication in 2019 when he skipped the most important meeting in the Church of England’s calendar just to officiate Archie’s christening. Meanwhile, senior clerics were left scratching their heads, wondering if the Sussexes had any sense of responsibility to the rest of the world or if they simply expected everything to revolve around their whims.
But Welby didn’t stop there. He openly sided with them, declaring that the royal family’s expectations were unrealistic and that Harry and Meghan deserved time off because, after all, they were just “regular people.” Welby was fully convinced that the Sussexes were victims of a system that expected them to be superhuman.
Fast forward to 2021, when the pair unleashed their Netflix documentary, taking aim at everything from the British royal family to the history of slavery. Meanwhile, Welby, still keeping his loyalties firmly planted with the Sussexes, joined the woke parade, calling for radical changes within the Church of England for its role in systemic issues. How convenient that this all aligned with the Sussexes’ own grievances.
Here’s where the plot thickens. In 2023, sources reported that Welby had completely fallen under the Sussexes' spell. But it seems this spell involved more than just heart-to-heart talks about freedom and reform. It also involved overlooking some very serious issues in his own life. As it turns out, Welby had ties to an infamous evangelical barrister who had abused children, which ultimately led to his resignation.
Was Welby’s association with the Sussexes somehow linked to this fall from grace? Maybe. Maybe not. One thing is for sure, though: after this spectacular series of miscalculations, it’s clear that Justin Welby—who once held the fate of the Church of England in his hands—has been “Markled,” and it’s doubtful he’ll ever fully recover from it.
