Philip’s will to stay secret for 90 years
THE Duke of Edinburgh’s will is to remain secret to protect the ‘dignity’ of the Queen because of her constitutional role, the High Court has ruled.
After the death of a senior member of the Royal Family, it has been convention for more than a century that an application to seal their will is made to the President of the Family Division of the High Court.
This means the document is not open to public inspection as a will would ordinarily be.
President Sir Andrew McFarlane heard from lawyers representing the estate of Prince Philip, who died aged 99 in April, and the Attorney General, who represents the public interest in such matters, at a private hearing in July.
In a ruling published yesterday, Sir Andrew ordered that Philip’s will is to remain sealed for 90 years from the grant of probate – and may only be opened in private even after that date.
He said the order was ‘to maintain the dignity of the Sovereign and close members of her family’.
Sir Andrew said that as president, he is custodian of a safe holding 30 envelopes – each containing the sealed will of a deceased royal.