In April, the royal family mourned the loss of the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Philip, and the UK High Court has ruled in favor of keeping the late Prince’s will sealed for 90 years.
The United Kingdom has mourned the loss of the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Philip, since his passing in April but is making headlines again following a judgment regarding his last will and testament. The UK High Court’s most senior family judge, Andrew McFarlane, ruled that the will of Prince Philip will be sealed for 90 years for reasons citing that the courts want to protect the dignity of his widow, Queen Elizabeth II, who also serves as head of state.
In Britain, will are typically public documents but over the last century, it is customary to seal the will of senior members of the royal family ordered by the High Court. Judge McFarlane has disclosed he has not been told or seen the contents of Prince Philip’s will and it seems that no one will know for 90 years. The contents of the will won’t be disclosed but Prince Philip earned an annual salary estimated at $500,000and his net worth is estimated at $30 million.
In Judge McFarlane’s written judgment, he discloses, “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… 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.”
After 90 years, the document will be unsealed in private to consider whether it should be published for the public. Judge McFarlane serves as the president of the High Court’s family division as a legal liaison for the royal family. Judge McFarlane is also the custodian of the safe containing 30 envelopes of deceased members of the royal family including Princess Margaret (sister of Queen Elizabeth II) and the late Queen Mother Elizabeth, both passed away in 2002.
This decision has lasted for decades but some have contested this tradition including a man claiming to be the son of Princess Margaret. Robert Brown claimed to the courts that he was the illegitimate son of Princess Margaret, going to the courts to demand her will be unsealed but the lack of evidence resulted in a failed court battle.
The ruling was made following a private court hearing in July and media organizations were not permitted to make a case for publishing the wills of members of the royal family.
