Royal chapel stays closed to the people
-18/02/05
The forthcoming royal wedding between Prince Charles and Ms Camilla Parker Bowles descended to further levels of behind-the-scenes farce yesterday, when it was announced that they would now marry in a register office rather than in St Georgeís Chapel, Windsor ñ because this was the only way of keeping ordinary people out of the Chapel.
Prince Charles, the future King (and thereby shoe-in Supreme Governor of the Church of England, which is established in subjection to the crown) cannot marry in a Church of England church because of the circumstances of the coupleís divorces and the policy of the Church, the Archbishop of Canterbury has decided on advisement.
But it seemed as if it would be possible to use a purely civil ceremony (in which mention of God would be forbidden to the future Defender of the Faith) at St Georgeís Windsor, using a special license. The Chapel is a ëroyal peculiarí, which means that it is a church franchised to the exclusive control of the crown.
It was therefore understood that Charlesí mother, the Queen, could decide to allow the civil ceremony on what is in effect her private church, irrespective of Church of England policy. Under the terms of establishment the reigning monarch is the Supreme Governor of the Church in all matters, temporal and spiritual.
However civil policy on granting a special license to a property for a civil ceremony (which in this case will be followed by a private Christian blessing from the Archbishop) would require that the building used should thereby be open to similar use by ordinary members of the public for three years thereafter.
The royal household has decided that, although the Chapel at Windsor is ultimately paid for by British taxpayers, allowing them to use it would be a step too far. It is understood that Charles and Camilla are unhappy about this, but it is a sacrifice they see as worthwhile to cement their long-standing relationship in law.
The UK theological think tank Ekklesia last week pointed out the anomoly of the Church of England having as its future Supreme Governor a man who the Archbishop cannot permit to remarry in one of the churches of which he will be a Defender, using the official liturgy he will swear to uphold in the coronation oath.
Ekklesia has called for a theologically grounded reconsideration among all the churches (not just the Church of England) of church-state links, and for moves towards disestablishment.
Royal chapel stays closed to the people
-18/02/05
The forthcoming royal wedding between Prince Charles and Ms Camilla Parker Bowles descended to further levels of behind-the-scenes farce yesterday, when it was announced that they would now marry in a register office rather than in St Georgeís Chapel, Windsor ñ because this was the only way of keeping ordinary people out of the Chapel.
Prince Charles, the future King (and thereby shoe-in Supreme Governor of the Church of England, which is established in subjection to the crown) cannot marry in a Church of England church because of the circumstances of the coupleís divorces and the policy of the Church, the Archbishop of Canterbury has decided on advisement.
But it seemed as if it would be possible to use a purely civil ceremony (in which mention of God would be forbidden to the future Defender of the Faith) at St Georgeís Windsor, using a special license. The Chapel is a ëroyal peculiarí, which means that it is a church franchised to the exclusive control of the crown.
It was therefore understood that Charlesí mother, the Queen, could decide to allow the civil ceremony on what is in effect her private church, irrespective of Church of England policy. Under the terms of establishment the reigning monarch is the Supreme Governor of the Church in all matters, temporal and spiritual.
However civil policy on granting a special license to a property for a civil ceremony (which in this case will be followed by a private Christian blessing from the Archbishop) would require that the building used should thereby be open to similar use by ordinary members of the public for three years thereafter.
The royal household has decided that, although the Chapel at Windsor is ultimately paid for by British taxpayers, allowing them to use it would be a step too far. It is understood that Charles and Camilla are unhappy about this, but it is a sacrifice they see as worthwhile to cement their long-standing relationship in law.
The UK theological think tank Ekklesia last week pointed out the anomoly of the Church of England having as its future Supreme Governor a man who the Archbishop cannot permit to remarry in one of the churches of which he will be a Defender, using the official liturgy he will swear to uphold in the coronation oath.
Ekklesia has called for a theologically grounded reconsideration among all the churches (not just the Church of England) of church-state links, and for moves towards disestablishment.