Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's claim of private garden wedding sparks confusion over contradictory UK laws

The Duchess of Sussex said the couple ‘married’ before their Windsor Castle ceremony during her bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex step out of St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle after their wedding on May 19, 2018 in Windsor, England. Getty Images

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex head up The Long Walk back into Windsor Castle in the Ascot Landau carriage during the procession after getting married St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle on May 19, 2018 in Windsor, England. Getty Images

Prince Harry arrives at his wedding to Meghan Markle with his best man Prince William, Duke of Cambridge. Getty Images

Meghan Markle leaves the Cliveden House Hotel accompanied by her mother, Doria Ragland, ahead of her wedding. Getty Images

Meghan Markle and her pageboys Brian Mulroney and John Mulroney arrive at her wedding. Getty Images

Meghan Markle walks up the aisle with Prince Charles, Prince of Wales at St George's Chapel. Getty Images

Prince Harry waits for Meghan Markle at the altar during their wedding in St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle. Getty Images

Meghan Markle and her bridal party walk down the aisle. Getty Images

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stand at the altar. Getty Images

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stand at the altar. Getty Images

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and the Duchess of Sussex depart after their wedding ceremony. Getty Images

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex salutes members of the Royal family including, from left to right: Lady Louise Windsor, Sophie, Countess of Wessex, James, Viscount Severn, Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Michael of Kent, Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Princess Anne, Princess Royal and Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence. Getty Images

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex wave from the Ascot Landau Carriage during their carriage procession on Castle Hill outside Windsor Castle. Getty Images

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and the Duchess of Sussex hold hands in the Ascot Landau Carriage as their carriage procession rides along the Long Walk. Getty Images

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and the Duchess of Sussex in the Ascot Landau carriage during the procession after getting married. Getty Images

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry "married" three days before their Windsor Castle wedding ceremony, it was revealed in Sunday's bombshell two-hour interview with Oprah Winfrey.

The televised event saw 17 million people across the US tune in, according to preliminary data.

The admission has sparked confusion, however, as UK laws make this impossible.

In the first few minutes of the interview, Meghan revealed that she married Prince Harry in private, three days before their much-publicised 2018 Windsor Castle ceremony, which was watched around the world.

“You know, three days before our wedding, we got married," Meghan told Winfrey. "No one knows that. But we called the archbishop, and we just said, 'Look, this spectacle is for the world, but we want our union between us.'

"The vows that we have framed in our room are just the two of us in our backyard with the Archbishop of Canterbury," she explained, as Harry started singing "just the three of us", a reference to Bill Withers's song, Just the Two of Us.

The reason for the confusion stems from current English laws, which only permit couples to marry inside a place of worship or licensed non-religious venue. Two witnesses are also required to attend any marriage.

A couple are also unable to remarry each other, unless there is some doubt as to the validity of the earlier marriage, the rules state.

This means that if Meghan's claims are true, then the much-publicised marriage at St George's Chapel would have simply been a "spectacle".

This is seemingly impossible, however, as the UK Faculty Office tweeted a few days prior to the 2018 wedding that the registrar had "signed the Special Marriage Licence for HRH the Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to be married in St George's Chapel in Windsor".

It is more likely that the nuptials Meghan described were more of a blessing ceremony than a legally binding marriage.

Reverend David Green, Vicar of St Mary’s, West Malling and the Rector of St Michael’s, in Offham, took to Twitter to question the reveal.

"I’ve no idea what they mean. Obviously lacking as a parish priest," he tweeted while debating the issue with Reverend Tiffer Robinson of Suffolk.

"You can’t get married twice. So what was the thing three days before? And if it was a marriage, what on earth are we doing ‘playing’ at prayer / holy matrimony for cameras."

Robinson added: "She’s entitled to consider it her marriage if she wants to. Americans are much less concerned with the specifics of marriage law than English clergy.

“Most of their wedding ceremonies aren’t legal weddings … saying ‘we really got married three days before in a secret ceremony’ is not actually the same as saying they were legally wed three days before everyone thought they were.”

This thread has since been deleted.

Harry and Meghan's official royal wedding took place on May 19, 2018. At the time, the couple were living at Nottingham Cottage in the grounds of Kensington Palace.

Almost 18 million Britons watched the coverage, while 29 million people in the US tuned in.

A number of British and foreign royalty, international dignitaries and celebrity guests were in attendance, including Winfrey, Priyanka Chopra and Idris Elba.