The Will Of Queen Elizabeth Will Be Locked In A Vault And Kept Secret For 90 Years
Queen Elizabeth II's will is destined to be locked in a vault and remain secret for 90 years.
According to Reuters, the will of late Queen Elizabeth II, who died on 8 September at the age of 96, will be sealed and placed in a special safe for the next 90 years.
In the vault, in addition to Elizabeth II's will, there are already similar documents of her husband Prince Philip (who died in 2021), and her sister Princess Margaret (who died in 2002).
The special vault itself is located in a place inaccessible to outsiders. A judge oversees the safekeeping of the documents.
Sealing The Monarchs' Wills: What Is Known About The Practice
The practice of sealing the wills of monarchs in the UK dates back to 1910 to the late Prince Francis of Teck, great-great-grandfather of Queen Elizabeth II.
In 2007, Robert Brown, who claimed to be Princess Margaret's illegitimate son, wanted access to her will. But the court found his evidence insignificant and refused.
The public first learned of the practice with the will of the royal family members only in 2021. Then the executor of the will, Andrew Macfarlane, asked the head of the Family Division of the High Court in London to seal Prince Philip's will.
The judge ruled that the will should indeed be sealed, but decided to publish his decision to give the public an idea of the procedure. It was then that the judge announced for the first time the existence of a vault containing royal wills.
As well as the document that documents the last will and testament of the British monarch's husband, the safe also holds 32 wills of other senior members of the royal family.
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