This practice, that is to seal the wills of members of the royal family, dates back to 1910 and began with the unknown to the general public Prince Francis of Tet
Queen Elizabeth’s will, if it could be seen by the public, would provide a rare glimpse into the monarchy’s wealth, but unlike those of ordinary British citizens, hers will be sealed and kept in a safe for at least 90 years.
The practice, of sealing the wills of members of the royal family, dates back to 1910 and began with the largely unknown Prince Francis of Wed. His will is one of about 30 kept at an undisclosed location in London, under the supervision of a judge.
Traditionally, after the death of a member of the royal family, the executor of the will applies to the Family Court of the High Court in London, asking for it to be sealed. Judges have always given their approval.
The details were virtually unknown until the death in April 2021 of Prince Philip, the Queen’s husband. Judge Andrew McFarlane was then assigned to consider the application to seal the will. The judge agreed to the request, but decided to make his decision public so that the public would know what was happening and why. “The degree of publicity that publication would bring would be too extensive and completely contrary to the purpose of safeguarding the dignity of the monarch,” he wrote at the time, adding that it was necessary to keep the contents of the will secret so that the monarch could fulfill his its constitutional role.
The judge revealed the existence of a safe in which the wills are kept. He noted that he does not know the contents of the sealed documents.
Among other things, the safe contains the wills of Queen Elizabeth and Princess Margaret – both of whom died in 2002.
Margaret’s will was in 2007 at the center of a legal dispute when a man, Robert Brown, claimed to be her illegitimate son and wanted to get his hands on the document to validate his claim. The courts rejected the request as “absurd” and he was denied access.
Prince Francis of Teck, whose will is the oldest kept in the vault, died in 1910 aged 40. He was the younger brother of Queen Mary, wife of King George V and grandmother of Elizabeth II.
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I am currently a news writer for News Bulletin247 where I mostly cover sports news. I have always been interested in writing and it is something I am very passionate about. In my spare time, I enjoy reading and spending time with my family and friends.
