20 jul 2022 om 06:01 | Update: 9 minuten geleden
How many millions of special objects did Prince Philip leave behind after his death, and who are they intended for? The British royal family wants to keep that a secret, but if it is up to the press, his will will be made public shortly. The judge will rule on that this week. What is this case about? And what about the wills of other British royals?
By: Danja KoelemanUnder UK law, wills of deceased persons who held public office must always be made public. Then it can be checked whether they have committed fraud, for example.
But for members of the Royal Windsor family, an exception has often been made. In this way it must be prevented that everyone knows exactly what is in the possession of the British royal family and to whom these possessions have been allocated after the death of the person in question. Since 1911, this exception has been made for more than thirty relatives, including distant relatives. All these requests have been dealt with behind closed doors.
The will of Prince Philip, who died last year, must also remain secret for 90 years, the judge ruled in September last year. Like similar cases, this hearing was held privately. Media organizations were not allowed to attend and were not informed of the hearing.
The Guardian was barred from the hearing and believes that this is contrary to the open legal system. The newspaper wants the hearing to be rerun and the decision reversed.
Buckingham Palace responded succinctly to ‘s objection The Guardian. “The handling of wills only matters to the executors.” The royal family emphasizes that anyone can keep a will secret, if they want to. It is not known how many people use it.
The Guardian previously delved thoroughly into these ‘secret’ wills and made a calculation based on other documents and information. The newspaper concluded that the assets of the Windsor family are worth approximately 187 million pounds (219 million euros).
The wills of some British royals have been made public. Like that of the first Duke of Fife, the husband of Princess Louise (daughter of King Edward VII, who reigned until 1910). He left behind money and belongings worth £79 million, the highest amount of any British royal with a public will. The most famous member we know of what that one left behind is Princess Margaret. The value of her estate is £11.5 million.
Whether the public will also get a look at Prince Philip’s legacy will be announced later this week. The judge then considers the case of The Guardian and will decide whether this information should indeed remain secret for another 90 years, or whether it will be made public.