▁prote ctor ate ▁of ▁Be ch u anal and , ▁and ▁Williams , ▁who ▁was ▁a ▁London ▁ins urance ▁cl erk , ▁ple aded ▁with ▁P atter son ▁to ▁change ▁his ▁mind , ▁but ▁instead ▁he ▁took ▁them ▁to ▁the ▁nearby ▁St ▁Mary ▁Abb ots ▁church ▁in ▁K ens ington ▁to ▁meet ▁W and , ▁who , ▁as ▁Bishop ▁of ▁London , ▁was ▁performing ▁an ▁ord ination . ▁There ▁they ▁attempted ▁to ▁gain ▁W and ' s ▁consent ▁to ▁be ▁married ▁in ▁the ▁Church ▁of ▁England . ▁However , ▁W and ▁refused ▁such ▁permission ▁without ▁even ▁speaking ▁to ▁the ▁couple ▁himself , ▁sending ▁the ▁Arch de acon ▁of ▁M idd les ex ▁with ▁a ▁message ▁that ▁read : ▁" Get ▁in ▁touch ▁with ▁the ▁Col onial ▁Office . ▁When ▁they ▁agree ▁to ▁the ▁wed ding , ▁I ▁will ". ▁ ▁Although ▁senior ▁officials ▁at ▁the ▁Col onial ▁Office ▁had ▁no ▁say ▁over ▁whether ▁the ▁couple ▁could ▁get ▁married ▁in ▁a ▁church , ▁or ▁indeed ▁anywhere ▁else , ▁they ▁had ▁made ▁it ▁known ▁through ▁various ▁back ▁channels ▁that ▁they ▁were ▁opposed ▁to ▁the ▁union , ▁not ▁only ▁because ▁they ▁found ▁it ▁dist aste ful ▁but ▁because ▁they ▁believed ▁that , ▁given ▁Kh ama ' s ▁royal ▁status , ▁it ▁would ▁create ▁political ▁difficulties ▁with ▁apart heid ▁South ▁Africa , ▁a ▁neighbour ing ▁state ▁to ▁Be ch u anal and . ▁ ▁W and ' s ▁ref us al ▁to ▁san ction ▁a ▁church ▁ceremony ▁forced ▁Kh ama ▁and ▁Williams ▁to ▁get ▁married ▁in ▁a