DR ROWAN WILLIAMS, the Archbishop of Canterbury, led prayers yesterday for the Prince of Wales and his fiancée, Camilla Parker Bowles.
Opening the week-long session of the General Synod of the Church of England at Church House, in Westminster, Dr Williams prayed for those whose lives are lived in “the glare of publicity at this time”.
Specifically mentioning the Prince and Mrs Parker Bowles, he prayed for “God’s help and guidance for them”. The synod declined a call for an emergency debate on the couple’s forthcoming civil wedding and church blessing. Some clergy and laity are concerned about a remarried Prince of Wales becoming Defender of the Faith and Supreme Governor of the Church of England. They believe that the history of his relationship with Mrs Parker Bowles means that the Church should not bless his second marriage. If the marriage goes ahead, they believe that the Prince should renounce the throne. Dr Williams is to conduct the blessing service in April at St George’s, Windsor.
Dr Richard Turnbull, the chairman of the synod’s business committee, said that there had been a small number of requests for an emergency debate but it would be “quite wrong” to disturb the synod’s full agenda. He conceded that such a debate would be “of interest to the public” but added that it was “of doubtful public interest”.