A British judge has sealed Prince Philip’s will for at least 90 years, according to world news agencies.
Queen Elizabeth II’s husband died in April at the age of 99.
Judge Andrew McFarlane said the Duke of Edinburgh’s will should not be made public to protect the “dignity” of his widow. The marriage of Philip and the British queen lasted more than seven decades.
A judge ruled Thursday that the will of the late Prince Philip should remain secret to protect the “dignity” of his widow Queen Elizabeth II, who is Britain’s head of state. https://t.co/ozJqs5yoxe
— ABC News (@ABC) September 16, 2021
Wills are public documents in Britain, but for about a century it has been believed that the wills of high-ranking members of the royal family remain secret by decision of the Supreme Court.
Judge McFarlane ordered not to declassify Prince Philip’s last written will for 90 years. Then the question of the expediency of publishing the document can be considered.
“It is necessary to provide greater protection of the privacy of this limited group of people in order to preserve the dignity of the monarch and close family members,” the judge said.
He emphasizes that he did not see and was not informed about the contents of the will of the late Duke of Edinburgh.
McFarlane also said that as head of the High Court’s family law department, he was responsible for keeping 30 envelopes, each containing the last will of the deceased members of the British royal family. Among them is the will of Queen Mother Elizabeth and Princess Margaret, who died in 2002.