Archbishop of Canterbury listening to Stormzy ahead of royal wedding

The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby speaks from the pulpit during the Christmas Day service at Canterbury Cathedral, southern England, Monday Dec. 25, 2017. Picture: AP

The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby speaks from the pulpit during the Christmas Day service at Canterbury Cathedral, southern England, Monday Dec. 25, 2017. Picture: AP

Published May 8, 2018

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The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev Justin Welby, is listening to Stormzy to settle his nerves ahead of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding.

The Most Rev Justin Welby will be officiating Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding on May 19 and admits he is listening to the grime artist's track 'Blinded By Your Grace' to prepare for the ceremony.

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Speaking on BBC Coventry & Warwickshire, Mr Welby said: "I'm always nervous at weddings because it is such an important day for the couple - whoever they are. I've made a couple of cack-handed mistakes over the last couple of weddings I've been involved in and I'm thinking this is probably not a good moment to make it a hat-trick ... There's a line in that ['Blinded By Your Grace' that says - 'I stay prayed up and get the job done' - I think that sort of sums it up."

Meghan was baptised into the Anglican church in an "intimate service" performed by Welby earlier this year.

He said at the time: "It was very special. It was beautiful and sincere and very moving. It was a great privilege."

And the archbishop admitted he is feeling the pressure at presiding over the wedding of the year, especially after dropping the bride's ring when his director of communications Ailsa Anderson wed journalist Simon Cole last September.

He joked: "Unlike recent weddings, I must not drop the ring, and I must not forget to get the vows in the right order as I did at the rehearsal for one of my children's weddings! ...

"You know, at the heart of it is two people who have fallen in love with each other, who are committing their lives to each other with the most beautiful words and profound thoughts, who do it in the presence of God. Through Jesus Christ you pray for them to have the strength to fulfil their vows and you seek to do it in a way that respects their integrity and honours their commitment."

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