Prince Philip died last April, yet his last will and testament is still unknown to the public. Nobody outside the royal family will know its contents for a very long time. Here’s why.
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The Sealed Will
Philip’s death ended up causing quite a bit of controversy. An unprecedented number of complaints were sent to the BBC because his funeral became a spectacle as the media focused primarily on Prince Harry’s involvement more than anything else. The side stories continue unabated, as Philip’s will has just been sealed.
Judge Andrew McFarlene has ordered that the late consort’s will shall remain sealed in order to protect Queen Elizabeth’s “dignity.” The legal document will remain unseen for another 90 years. 90!
Royal Treatment
In his explanation, the judge explained that royal will require “special practice.” He wrote, “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.” The judge added that he has not seen the will itself and is completely oblivious to its contents.
This isn’t uncommon. Both the Queen Mother and Princess Margaret’s will’s have been sealed for decades. Attempts to unseal them have been unsuccessful. The media was unable to make a case to the judge, for the ruling happened in private. The judge said that public curiosity may exist, but “there is no true public interest in the public knowing this wholly private information.”
What Could Be Inside?
That’s not completely true, but the spirit of it is. It’s not really up to a judge to say what the public is interested in or not, but a will is an extremely private document. The fact that Philip’s will is sealed has a pink elephant effect: we kinda want to know what was worth sealing now. The royal family has been under fire for allegedly blocking a law from revealing the family’s true wealth to the public. Now that the will is sealed, minds are free to wander about what could possibly be inside.
We’ve debunked some pretty outlandish stories about the royal family’s assets. There are loads of stories claiming Harry is actually broke, but he’s really a millionaire. One of the most outrageous stories actually claimed Queen Elizabeth was hoarding the Ark of the Covenant and the Holy Grail within her palaces. Precious few folks alive today will live to see this will unsealed.