<p>Pete Broadbent, the Bishop of Willesden, north London, described the Royals on his Facebook page as "philanderers" with a record of marriage break-ups who who "cost an arm and a leg".<br /><br />He also denounced the "nauseating tosh" surrounding the "national flimflam" of the wedding and said the basis of the Monarchy is "corrupt and sexist", the Daily Mail reported.<br /><br />In his post, which has been criticised as too harsh, the bishop said the wedding should belong to the family and was not "some piece of national flimflam".</p>.<p>"I give the marriage seven years." Referring to the 1981 marriage of Prince Charles and Princess Diana, he added: "I managed to avoid the last disaster in slow motion between Big Ears and the Porcelain Doll, and I hope to avoid this one too."<br /><br />His comments, which are sure to dismay his immediate superior the Bishop of London, Richard Chartres who is a close friend of Prince Charles, were also condemned as "cruel" and "disrespectful" by MPs and Church members.<br /><br />Tory MP Nicholas Soames, a friend of Prince Charles denounced the Bishop's comments as "absurd and ridiculous", saying: "They are extremely rude, not what one expects from a bishop."<br /><br />To add the embarrassment, the row comes just two days before the Queen opens a new session of the General Synod -- the deliberative and legislative body of the Church of England which was instituted in 1970, replacing the Church Assembly.<br /><br />Synod member and former MP Canon Peter Bruinvels said: "This is deeply disappointing and disrespectful. The Bishop should be reminded that we are an established Church in which the Monarch plays an integral role."<br /><br />Fellow Synod member Alison Ruoff added the comments were "cruel, childish, unnecessary and unchristian".<br /><br />The furore could prove particularly embarrassing to Bishop Chartres as Church sources have suggested he may conduct the wedding service -- although it would be a break with tradition not to use the Archbishop of Canterbury, said the report.<br /><br />Broadbent -- a founder member of the Church's powerful Cabinet, the Archbishops' Council -- first commented on the Royal wedding on his Twitter account shortly after the couple announced their engagement on Tuesday.<br /><br />The official announcement of UK's much-waited royal wedding came last week following an eight year on and off romance between William, the second-in-line to the British throne, and his longtime companion Middleton.<br /><br />According to the Clarence House, the wedding will take place in spring or summer of 2011, in London.</p>
<p>Pete Broadbent, the Bishop of Willesden, north London, described the Royals on his Facebook page as "philanderers" with a record of marriage break-ups who who "cost an arm and a leg".<br /><br />He also denounced the "nauseating tosh" surrounding the "national flimflam" of the wedding and said the basis of the Monarchy is "corrupt and sexist", the Daily Mail reported.<br /><br />In his post, which has been criticised as too harsh, the bishop said the wedding should belong to the family and was not "some piece of national flimflam".</p>.<p>"I give the marriage seven years." Referring to the 1981 marriage of Prince Charles and Princess Diana, he added: "I managed to avoid the last disaster in slow motion between Big Ears and the Porcelain Doll, and I hope to avoid this one too."<br /><br />His comments, which are sure to dismay his immediate superior the Bishop of London, Richard Chartres who is a close friend of Prince Charles, were also condemned as "cruel" and "disrespectful" by MPs and Church members.<br /><br />Tory MP Nicholas Soames, a friend of Prince Charles denounced the Bishop's comments as "absurd and ridiculous", saying: "They are extremely rude, not what one expects from a bishop."<br /><br />To add the embarrassment, the row comes just two days before the Queen opens a new session of the General Synod -- the deliberative and legislative body of the Church of England which was instituted in 1970, replacing the Church Assembly.<br /><br />Synod member and former MP Canon Peter Bruinvels said: "This is deeply disappointing and disrespectful. The Bishop should be reminded that we are an established Church in which the Monarch plays an integral role."<br /><br />Fellow Synod member Alison Ruoff added the comments were "cruel, childish, unnecessary and unchristian".<br /><br />The furore could prove particularly embarrassing to Bishop Chartres as Church sources have suggested he may conduct the wedding service -- although it would be a break with tradition not to use the Archbishop of Canterbury, said the report.<br /><br />Broadbent -- a founder member of the Church's powerful Cabinet, the Archbishops' Council -- first commented on the Royal wedding on his Twitter account shortly after the couple announced their engagement on Tuesday.<br /><br />The official announcement of UK's much-waited royal wedding came last week following an eight year on and off romance between William, the second-in-line to the British throne, and his longtime companion Middleton.<br /><br />According to the Clarence House, the wedding will take place in spring or summer of 2011, in London.</p>
