People all over the world were in mourning after Prince Philip died earlier this year. For more than 70 years, Philip was Queen Elizabeth II’s rock and partner. When the Prince’s death was announced, royal fans were eager to learn as much as they could about his life and legacy. Those who are curious about Philip’s will will have to wait 90 years to find out.
Prince Philip’s death
The royal family shocked the world when they announced Philip’s death on April 9.
The royal family’s social media accounts announced, “It is with great sadness that Her Majesty The Queen has announced the death of her beloved husband, His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.”
The post continued, “His Royal Highness passed away peacefully this morning at Windsor Castle.” “The Royal Family, like the rest of the world, mourns his death. In due course, more information will be released.
Why will Prince Philip’s will be kept private?
In loving memory of His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.
1921-2021 pic.twitter.com/NJift8VoGV
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) April 17, 2021
According to BBC reports, a London judge decided to keep Philip’s will secret for at least 90 years in order to protect the queen’s and royal family members’ “dignity.”
When a senior member of the royal family passes away, hearings are frequently held. Sir Andrew McFarlane presided over the hearing on the application to seal the will.
In a written judgment, McFarlane stated, “I have held that, because of the constitutional position of the Sovereign, it is appropriate to have a special practice in relation to royal wills.” “In order to maintain the dignity of the Sovereign and close members of her family, there is a need to strengthen the protection afforded to truly private aspects of the lives of this small group of people.”
Before making his decision, the judge claimed that he had not seen the will. Despite this, he decided to hold the hearing in private because it would result in “extremely significant publicity and speculation” that would “defeat the application’s purpose.”
“While there may be public curiosity about the private arrangements that a member of the Royal Family may choose to make in their will, I accepted the submission that there is no true public interest in the public knowing this wholly private information,” he said.
Why are wills sealed?
Wills are frequently sealed in the royal family to hide scandals. Since 1910, when Prince Francis died of pneumonia at the age of 39, his wills have been sealed. According to The Guardian, he surprised his family by leaving valuable jewels to his mistress Ellen Constance, the countess of Kilmorey. There were also rumors of an illegitimate child as a result of this. As a result, Francis’ sister Mary petitioned a judge to prevent the will from being made public.
The will of Prince Philip will be kept secret for only 90 years before being inspected privately.