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The Duke and Duchess of Sussex told Oprah Winfrey that the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, had pronounced them man and wife before they exchanged vows in front of millions at their

televised royal wedding. But a Newcastle vicar has said a source at Lambeth Palace denied the secret wedding. Rev Mark Edwards said he has been inundated with requests for private ceremonies

from couples eager to tie the knot during the Covid pandemic. After the duchess claimed the head of the Church of England had offered her and Harry such a service he decided to seek

answers. The vicar said a CofE source told him: “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.” The vicar also added that he was told by a Lambeth Palace staff member that “Justin does not do private weddings" and concluded as "Meghan is an

American, she does not understand”. The church's rules for weddings are strict. At least two witnesses are required for the ceremony to be deemed valid and legal. A marriage must be

solemnised by a clergy member in a church or in a place specified in a special licence. This could include a hospital, chapel or a cathedral. The church's book of rules states that

members of the public must have "unrestricted access" to the building while a marriage ceremony is being conducted. READ MORE: QUEEN 'ABOVE LEVEL' OF HARRY AND MEGHAN AND

SHOULD NOT GIVE INTERVIEW She added: "We called the Archbishop and we just said, 'Look, this thing, this spectacle is for the world but we want our union between us'."

As head of the CofE, the Archbishop does not comment on personal or pastoral matters. A source quoted in The Telegraph said he had “probably just prayed with them” and not actually married

them. Harry and Meghan's wedding at St George's Chapel in May 2018 was watched by millions around the globe. The Queen's grandson tied the knot with the former American

actress six months after he introduced her to the world as his fiancee. Harry popped the question about a year-and-a-half after he was set up with Meghan on a blind date in London. The

couple started a long distance relationship before Meghan quit her acting job on Suits and moved to the UK in late 2017. They will mark their third wedding anniversary in May just weeks

before they are due to welcome their second child. Additional reporting by Katie Dickinson of the Chronicle Live.