Royal Family News: Prince Philip’s Sealed Will Shocker

British royal family news reveals that the late Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, is back in the news today. He passed away in April at the age of 99, surrounded by his loved ones at Windsor Castle. He was married to Queen Elizabeth for 73 years and they had four children together.

Today Judge Andrew McFarlane decreed that Philip’s will should be sealed for 90 years. In other words, the contents of the document will be made available long after most people reading this will be in their own eternal resting place. After nine decades of lying dormant, the document may be unsealed, but only in, “in private and consideration given to whether it should be published.”

I have the same question you do: what in the world kind of juicylicious dish is in that will?

Royal Family News – Prince Philip Is Deceased

In the UK wills are traditionally public documents. But for nearly 100 years the wills of senior royals have been sealed on the order of the High Court.

McFarlane explained his decision by saying, “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.”

Royal Family News – What Did Prince Philip Leave In His Will?

At the same time, the judge, “stressed that he had not seen or been told of the contents of the will.” Not even a teensy, weensy little peek?

He added that in his role as president of the High Court’s family division, “he is custodian of a safe which holds 30 envelopes, each containing the sealed will of a deceased royal, including the late Queen Mother Elizabeth and the current queen’s sister, Princess Margaret.” Both women died in 2002.

Later a man named Robert Brown claimed to be Margaret’s illegitimate son and he sought to have both wills unsealed in order to seek evidence for his allegation. He failed and the wills were not opened.

Royal Family News – Royal Wills Are Privileged

The judge went on to say that while there might be “public curiosity” about royal wills, “there is no true public interest in the public knowing this wholly private information.”

His ruling was announced after a private court hearing in July.

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