Pastor Tells Prince Harry, 'It Is Your Turn Next, Sir,' After Officiating Wedding Of Harry's Best Friend In Jamaica
Could Prince Harry and his girlfriend actress Meghan Markle be heading to the altar soon?
If Pastor Conrad Thomas of the Jamaica Baptist Union were to have his way, then the answer could be "yes."
Thomas officiated the wedding of one of Prince Harry's closest friends, Tom Inskip, over the weekend in the Caribbean island nation of Jamaica. Harry, 32, and Meghan, 35, attended the wedding.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Thomas said during the wedding he told Harry, "It is your turn next, Sir."
The pastor observed that Harry and Meghan "looked so very much in love" as they sat in the third pew of his church.
"I have no doubt that they are very much in love. They sat next to each other and held hands as they walked out," he told the Daily Mail. "I will never forget their radiant smiles and they looked so happy together. Bless them in their future together."
Thomas said it would seem to him that it's a question not of "if" but "when" they will get married, adding that he "would be elated to conduct their ceremony."
If Harry does marry Meghan, it will be the second time around for her. Meghan, the star of the U.S. legal drama series "Suits," was previously married to Trevor Engelson. Coincidentally, they were also married in Jamaica in September 2011 but their union ended in divorce in August 2013.
But the question that begged to be answered is: Could Prince Harry marry a divorcée?
According to the Express, "historically, royals have not been allowed to marry divorcées."
For instance in 1955 Princess Margaret, the Queen Elizabeth's younger sister, was forced to end her relationship with Group Captain Peter Townsend, her late father's equerry, after it was revealed that he had been previously married.
Margaret was told that she would have to renounce her rights of succession if she insisted on marrying Townsend. The princess ultimately decided to break off with Townsend.
In 1936, King Edward VIII abdicated after just 326 days on the throne to be able to marry American divorcée Wallis Simpson. The move triggered a constitutional crisis since it violated the Church of England's teaching that remarriage is not allowed if the former spouse is still alive.
However in recent years, the Church and the Royal Family have "modernised" their views on marriage.
In 2005, the Queen permitted Prince Charles to marry fellow divorcée Camilla Parker Bowles, now the Duchess of Cornwall.
Constitutionally, Harry would still need the Queen's blessing before he could get married, the Express said.