The Reason Prince Philip’s Will Is To Remain Secret For The Next 90 Years

Sep 21, 2021 by apost team

Prince Philip died on April 9, 2021, and was laid to rest in the Royal Vault at St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle on Saturday, April 17, 2021. The late prince was buried alongside former kings of England and other royals, the Associated Press reported. Images from inside the funeral, where only a select group of 30 people could attend due to coronavirus restrictions, showed Queen Elizabeth sitting alone in the chapel. The queen was said to be heartbroken after losing her "strength and stay."

Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, retired from his royal duties in 2017 at the age of 95, removing himself from the public eye. Before stepping back, he was considered one of the busiest royals, having had more than 22,000 solo appearances, according to Encyclopedia Britannica. However, since his retirement, his health has deteriorated. In 2018, he underwent hip surgery ahead of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding. Less than a year later, Philip was also in a car accident, which led to him voluntarily relinquishing his license.

Just nine weeks before his passing, Philip was admitted to King Edward VII's Hospital in London on Feb. 16, 2021, on a precautionary basis since he reportedly felt unwell. Following his admission, the prince underwent surgery for a heart condition.

Buckingham Palace released a statement following his March 16 release from the hospital that called the procedure “successful.” Though his death came as a shock and was met with immense grief across the world, it was believed that the Duke of Edinburgh passed peacefully. 

Naturally, when a person of such a stature passes away, there is some curiosity about what was left behind in the person's will for the rest of the family. However, when it comes to the royal family, there are strict rules that keep such things shrouded in secrecy. According to BBC News, Philip's will is sealed for the next 100 years, and this means that unlike most wills granted probate, it will not be open to public inspection.

The news outlet also reported that there will be a private process in 90 years to decide if it can be unsealed. The hearing into sealing the will had already taken place in July in private by the most senior judge in the family courts, Sir Andrew McFarlane. McFarlane set the process for the first time ever in 100 years by which those wills could be made public.

McFarlane said that as the president of the Family Division of the High Court, he is currently the custodian of a safe which contains more than 30 envelopes, each of which contains the sealed will of a dead member of the royal family.

"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," McFarlane said, adding, "There is a need to enhance the protection afforded to truly private aspects of the lives of this limited group of individuals in order to maintain the dignity of the Sovereign and close members of her family."

apost.com

McFarlane himself has not seen Philip's will or been told anything of its contents other than the date of its execution and the identity of the appointed executor. As for why he decided to hold the hearing in private, he said that it would most likely generate "very significant publicity and conjecture" that would "defeat the purpose of the application."

He also added, "I accepted the submission that, whilst there may be public curiosity as to the private arrangements that a member of the Royal Family may choose to make in their will, there is no true public interest in the public knowing this wholly private information." 

On the other hand, the news of the hearing has not been received well by everyone, as the lawyers representing Philip's estate argued knowing about the hearing and the application "might generate wholly unfounded conjecture" which would be "deeply intrusive" for Elizabeth as well as other members of the royal family.

BBC News reported that according to legal and royal expert Michael Nash, who has authored the book "Royal Wills in Britain from 1509 to 2008," the new legal mechanism pertaining to royal wills was devised after Prince Francis left valuable emeralds prized by Queen Mary to his mistress, the Countess of Kilmorey.

The envelope which contains Francis's will currently also resides in the safe held by Sir Andrew. Along with Philip's will, the safe's other recent additions are the wills of the late Queen Mother as well as Princess Margaret, Elizabeth's sister, who passed away in 2002.

What do you think about Prince Philip's will being sealed away for 100 years? Tell us your thoughts, and be sure to pass this on to your friends and family if you learned something new!