A GREAT SURPRISE

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 131, 4 June 1937, Page 9

A GREAT SURPRISE

VICAR'S ACTION

BISHOP DID NOT KNOW

CONSENT NOT GIVEN

LONDON, June 3.

The news that the Rev. Anderson Jardine, vicar of St. Paul's Church, Darlington, had gone to France to perform the religious ceremony at the wedding of the Duke of Windsor and Mrs. Wallace Warfield came as a great surprise, not only to the Archbishop of Canterbury. Dr. Cosmo Lang, but also to the Bishop of Fulham, Dr. Basil Staunton Batty, under whose jurisdiction the 'Anglican Church in North and '' Central Europe comes.

After a consultation between the Archbishop oi Canterbury and the Bishop of Fulham, the following statement was issued with the authority of Dr. Lang:—"lf it be true that Mr. Jardine has undertaken to perform a religious ceremony in connection with the marriage of the Duke of Windsor, the Bishop of Fulham wishes it to be understood that this action of an Anglican clergyman is taken without his knowledge or consent."

DEAN LENDS CRUCIFIX.

The Tours correspondent of the "Daily Mail" says that Prebendary F. A. Cardew, rural dean of France, and responsible to the Bishop of Fulham, says that directly he heard that the Rev. Anderson Jardine had gone to

France he.telephoned the Bishop of Fulham, who explained that it had been made clear that clergy of the Church of England must not take any part in the wedding, Mr. Cardew said he had lent a crucifix for use in the civil ceremony, bu*. in the changed circumstances he requested its return, as he could not appear to countenance a ceremony disapproved of by his superiors. "The whole position is most embarrassing," he said. "The Duke is an old friend of mine, but I am compelled to act in accordance with Church discipline." :

"ENTIRELY IRREGULAR."

The ecclesiastical correspondent of the "Daily Telegraph" says that Mr. Jardine's action is entirely irregular. It is understood that the Bishop of Fulham telegraphed Mr. Jardine protesting against his acting without episcopal licence or consent. . There is, however, no process of ecclesiastical law by which Mr. Jardine can be restrained, and so the Bishop's telegram took the form of a protest, not a prohibition. ■ ,

"Mr. Jardine's position in the ceremony will be that of a private person who. is invited to say the prayers," the "Telegraph" correspondent adds. "He is legally incapable of solemnising the marriage."

A message from Tours states that when he was asked how he knew the Duke desired a religious ceremony and how he came to make his offer, Mr. Jardine replied: "It seemed to me unthinkable that any member of the Royal Family could be married without a" Church of England service."