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Are Meghan Markle's 'secret wedding' claims true? Internet says early private ceremony couldn't 'have been legal'

Social media is furious about the secret wedding, with one user writing, '31 million of tax payers money to pay for a wedding show when they were already married!'

As the world continues to reel under the shocking, often deplorable revelations made by Meghan Markle and Harry about living with the royal family, British media has once again indulged in fact-checking how far these claims are true. Among the many murky details that the former Sussex royals revealed were racist conversations surrounding the color of their baby's skin, Meghan being denied help when she felt suicidal, and the couple actually tying the knot ahead of their publicized and televised May 2018 wedding. While fact-checkers are busy busting a majority of these claims, the early wedding too seems highly unlikely, reports Daily Mail.

Meghan and Harry sat down with Oprah Winfrey in a two-hour special of the CBS program '60 Minutes' where the presenter and talk show host ripped into the former actor's claims of racism that she underwent during her stay with the monarchy. In due course of the conversation, lighthearted moments like the gender reveal of their soon to be arriving baby were also highlighted. And one of those moments saw Meghan telling the host that she and Harry were actually, secretly wed three days before the Windsor ceremony by the Archbishop of Canterbury.

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"You know, three days before our wedding, we got married," Meghan told Oprah, adding: "No one knows that... We called the Archbishop and we just said, 'Look, this thing, this spectacle is for the world but we want our union between us.' So, like, the vows that we have framed in our room are just the two of us in our backyard with the archbishop of Canterbury." Daily Mail however believes this is highly unlikely as Church of England marriages require a minimum of two witnesses. Moreover, the public must also be allowed unrestricted access to the building at the time of any marriage ceremony at all, to ensure valid objections against the marriage can be made, should there be any.

Ahead of their official wedding date, the couple was living in Kensington Palace grounds - a residence that was off-limits to the public. But not only that, a couple that's already been lawfully married, cannot remarry each other unless there's significant doubt surrounding the validity of the first marriage ceremony. Reverend David Green, Vicar of St Mary's, West Malling and the Rector of St Michael's, Offham, told the outlet that that having two weddings was impossible; "I think the Archbishop needs to clarify what did or did not happen three days before," he said. It is however possible that the early wedding was just an exchange of their vows instead of a legally recognized one, notes the outlet.

Fox News reports that in a since-deleted tweet posted on Monday, March 8, when the interview was scheduled to air in the UK, Rev. Green had also shared "You can’t get married twice. So what was the thing three days before [their public ceremony]? And if it was a marriage, what on earth are we doing ‘playing’ at prayer/holy matrimony for cameras," The tweet was reportedly deleted by Monday afternoon, but the Reverend had allegedly written after the interview, “I’ve no idea what they mean," reports the outlet.

Social media is however torn about what to do with this piece of information. While some are thrilled that they got to do things their way alone, others think the public wedding was still to promote the Meghan and Harry brand. "I love meghan and harry got to have a private ceremony before their wedding with just them present, the world wasn’t watching. it just got to be them in peace," wrote a user. Another however pointed out "Meghan & Harry took $45M for a wedding, $800K for clothes, $3.2M for a house then ran off to Canada and the US where they did a public bash session designed to hurt Harry's family to help the Meghan & Harry brand. If anyone is being mean and selfish it's Meghan & Harry!"

Another even complained: "What pisses me off is 31 million of taxpayers money to pay for a wedding show when they were already married ! It’s a joke !! I don’t work for that !!!!" Trying to find a middle ground, one user remarked "You do realize. that wedding made a lot more money for English people than it cost? I am guessing Meghan and Harry had their druthers they would prefer a wedding with just their family and close friends, without the cameras etc." Others still keep harping how "Meghan has since retracted her statement saying she "misspoke" about the 1st wedding. It wouldn't have been legal without 2 witnesses & only 3 people were present - Harry, Meghan & the Archbishop of Canterbury. I'm a former deputy registrar of marriages, so I should know."