London: Queen’s Will Elizabeth Second, if the public could see it, it would provide rare insight into the late monarch’s wealth, but unlike ordinary British citizens he would be sealed and locked in a vault for at least 90 years.
The practice of sealing the wills of deceased royals dates back to 1910 and is rarely remembered for Prince Francis of Teck, whose wills are kept in a vault at an undisclosed location. Londonunder the supervision of a judge.
By tradition, after the death of a senior royal, the executor of his will applies to the head of the family division of the London High Court to seal the will. In that case successive judges have always agreed.
Those details were unknown to the wider world until the death of the Queen’s husband in April 2021, Prince PhilipJustice fell to Andrew MacFarlane when dealing with an application to seal his will.
The judge ruled that the will should indeed be sealed, but decided to publish his decision to give the public a better understanding of what was happening and why.
“The degree of publicity to which the publication would be likely to attract would be too broad and completely contrary to the purpose of upholding the dignity of the sovereign,” he wrote, adding that the monarch must fulfill his constitutional role. To do this was necessary.
The judge revealed the existence of the vault containing the royal will and, as the current chairman of the family division, he was in charge of it, even though he had no knowledge of the contents of the sealed documents.
The late queen’s will, when she is deposited in the vault with her husband, will join the will of her mother Elizabeth and sister Princess Margaretwho died in 2002.
Margaret’s will was the subject of a 2007 legal challenge robert brown, who claimed to be the illegitimate son of the princess and who wanted to see it to further his claim. The courts rejected his belief as “irrational” and he was denied admission.
Prince Francis of Teck, whose will was first kept in the vault, died in 1910 at the age of 40. He was the younger brother of Queen Mary, wife of King George V and grandmother of the late Queen.
The practice of sealing the wills of deceased royals dates back to 1910 and is rarely remembered for Prince Francis of Teck, whose wills are kept in a vault at an undisclosed location. Londonunder the supervision of a judge.
By tradition, after the death of a senior royal, the executor of his will applies to the head of the family division of the London High Court to seal the will. In that case successive judges have always agreed.
Those details were unknown to the wider world until the death of the Queen’s husband in April 2021, Prince PhilipJustice fell to Andrew MacFarlane when dealing with an application to seal his will.
The judge ruled that the will should indeed be sealed, but decided to publish his decision to give the public a better understanding of what was happening and why.
“The degree of publicity to which the publication would be likely to attract would be too broad and completely contrary to the purpose of upholding the dignity of the sovereign,” he wrote, adding that the monarch must fulfill his constitutional role. To do this was necessary.
The judge revealed the existence of the vault containing the royal will and, as the current chairman of the family division, he was in charge of it, even though he had no knowledge of the contents of the sealed documents.
The late queen’s will, when she is deposited in the vault with her husband, will join the will of her mother Elizabeth and sister Princess Margaretwho died in 2002.
Margaret’s will was the subject of a 2007 legal challenge robert brown, who claimed to be the illegitimate son of the princess and who wanted to see it to further his claim. The courts rejected his belief as “irrational” and he was denied admission.
Prince Francis of Teck, whose will was first kept in the vault, died in 1910 at the age of 40. He was the younger brother of Queen Mary, wife of King George V and grandmother of the late Queen.