Rowan Williams, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, has revealed his reasoning for denying the then-Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles the use of St. George's Chapel for their wedding in 2005. The couple ultimately held their ceremony at a local register office.
Williams, speaking at a literary luncheon for The Oldie magazine, stated, "Those were the rules." He was referring to his interpretation of the Church of England's regulations, which, since 2002, allow Anglican priests to officiate at weddings involving divorcees at their discretion. Despite this, Williams declined the ceremony at the royal chapel.
As a result, Charles and Camilla's civil ceremony had only 28 guests, and Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip did not attend. Following the civil ceremony, Williams did lead a blessing for the couple at St. George's Chapel, which was attended by the Queen and Prince Philip.
It is understood that Williams agreed with the Queen's view that a full church wedding was not appropriate, given that adultery was cited as a contributing factor to the end of Charles's first marriage to Princess Diana. The Church of England's website notes that while many vicars will assist divorcees, some may not feel able to conduct a wedding, though they might offer a blessing service after a civil ceremony.
In contrast, Meghan Markle was permitted to marry Prince Harry at St. George's Chapel in 2018, under Archbishop Justin Welby. More recently, Prince Harry's cousin Peter Phillips and his now ex-wife Harriet Sperling exchanged vows at All Saints Church, Kemble, in June, despite both having been previously married. The Church of England's guidance acknowledges that while individual clergy have discretion, blessings are often an alternative for couples where one or both partners have been divorced.