at the centre of the world stage on Wednesday, June 2, 1937.
The vicar of a single of the most significant Anglican parishes in the town had
disappeared - but this was not the things of which gossip columns have been
manufactured.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtnEaXIR1fc
Sensational it was, but not salacious. The Rev Robert Anderson Jardine had secretly left his doing work class parish of St Paul's for
France, to play his element in cementing the most controversial adore match
this century.
Mr Jardine was to carry out the religious ceremony which produced the
ex-King, the Duke of Windsor and Mrs Wallis Warfield - formerly Mrs
Simpson - man and wife in the eyes of the church.
The announcement was created by Mr Herman Rogers, a friend of the
star-crossed couple at Tours, in France, and it astounded Mr
Jardine's 9,500 parishioners.
Pressmen found the North Street vicarage locked and the congregation,
such as the Jardine's maid, Miss Annie Anderson nonplussed. But
people's warden, hairdresser Mr Edward Henry Waddleston was
certainly in the know.
"Mr and Mrs Jardine, with their 19-12 months-outdated son, Donald, left
Darlington on Monday for France. I know the full details but Mr Jardine
initial swore me to secrecy and I can give no details," he informed
the assembled newshounds.
In reality, Mrs Jardine and Donald stayed with relatives in Letchworth
whilst Mr Jardine crossed 馬爾代夫婚禮 the Channel for his Royal appointment.
If the men and women of Darlington had been astonished at his move, the Bishop
of Durham, Dr H Hensley Henson, was far more than somewhat miffed.
He warned the vicar by telegram that he was "without episcopal
licence or consent to unite the Duke of Windsor and Mrs.
Simpson." He additional: "Mr Jardine has no authority
whatsoever to officiate in any other diocese than Durham unless of course he has
sanction of the proper ecclesiastical authority."
The Bishop said that if the marriage were taking spot in his
diocese he would think about himself duty bound to inhibit any clergyman
inside his jurisdiction from officiating.
He could not management Mr Jardine on the continent, he mentioned, and
he presumed that the vicar had secured the permission of the responsible
Anglican bishop.
The opposite view was put by Mr J A Kensit, leader of the
Protestant Reality Society of which Mr Jardine was an adherent.
"Mr Jardine is really fearless in his advocacy of any lead to
which he judges appropriate and would pursue his very own line irrespective of the
consequences to himself.
"Christian charity has exerted itself and Mr Jardine is to be
commended for his action. Intense clericalism has completed its best to
impose a veto towards the church ceremony and rightly fails.
"The Duke has observed all the canons of appropriate carry out given that
the abdication and each legal form has been complied with concerning
the divorce. Why, as a result, need to the blessing of God not be invoked
on the union?"
Even though the controversy raged Mr Jardine arrived in the village of
Monts close to Excursions exactly where the marriage was to take location in the Chateau of
Cande.
On Thursday, June 3, the vicar, described in the Italian Press as
"a shy hero who has emerged from the English provinces"
arrived at the chateau shortly after 10.30am.
The French civil ceremony was carried out by the Mayor of Monts, Dr
Mercier, who at 11.47 pronounced: "You are united in
marriage."
At noon the Duke and Duchess moved from the chateau's saloon
to the music room, which had been converted into an Anglican chapel for
the event. A wooden chest made do as a makeshift altar before which
the pair kneeled as Mr Jardine performed the support.
On Saturday, June five, the vicar returned exhausted but smiling to
Darlington. Awaiting him, apart from Pressmen, had been far more than 300
letters, most of them backing him.
Fifty-a single yr old Mr Jardine became an apprentice bookseller and a
Christian convert when he was 19. He then connected himself to a
Liverpool slum mission exactly where he became recognized as the poor man's
priest.
For 14 years following his ordination he served in many curacies
ahead of coming to St Paul's, Darlington, as vicar.
The aftermath of his quick skirt with fame was that he lost no time
in getting his cards printed with the words The Duke's Vicar on
them.
He provided himself for lecture excursions and even had a Hollywood agent
and eventually he created it to the celluloid city. In 1941 he was supplied
the pastorship of a tiny Los Angeles church.
He promptly renamed it - Windsor Cathedral.
'Mr Jardine is really fearless in his advocacy of any lead to
which he judges right and would pursue his personal line irrespective of the
consequences to himself'
CAPTION(S):
Wedding ceremony DAY: The Duke and Mrs Simpson after their wedding ceremony in France
with Significant E D Metcalfe, proper and Mr A G Allen, left THE DUKE'S
VICAR: The Rev Robert Anderson Jardine who secretly left his Darlington
parish to execute the ceremony
