Prince Philip's will to be kept a secret to protect Queen's 'dignity'

Prince Philip's will is to remain a secret for almost another century, a senior judge has ruled. 

• Prince Philip's will is to remain private for the next 90 years, a senior judge has ruled. 
• Sir Andrew McFarlane ordered that the contents of the will are to be hidden from the public to protect the "dignity" of the Queen. 
• In other royal news, the Queen set to miss ‘unique event’ for the first time in 16 years.
  

The will of Prince Philip, who died aged 99 earlier this year, must be kept hidden from the public for the next 90 years, a London judge has ruled. 

The Duke of Edinburgh's will has been shrouded in mystery ever since his death on 9 April and—unfortunately for royal fans—it looks like its contents won't be unveiled any time soon. The news comes shortly after Prince William and Prince Harry paid 'heartwarming' tributes to Prince Philip in an upcoming BBC documentary. 

Sir Andrew McFarlane, President of the Family Division of the High Court  ordered on Thursday that the details of the late prince's high-profile testimony should remain private to "maintain the dignity of the Sovereign and close members of her family."

In a written document obtained to the BBC, the renowned judge acknowledged the "public curiosity" towards a royal will, but said that "there is no true public interest in the public knowing this wholly private information."

McFarlane then authorized a private process to be held in 90 years' time to determine if the files should be unsealed. So unless Jeff Bezos's anti-aging technology investment ends up being successful, it's pretty unlikely anyone reading this will be alive for that meeting.

While we may never know the exact contents of Philip's will, we have been privy to a few theories on how he could have distributed his assets. It's been speculated that the Duke left a whopping £30 million to "three key staff members" who were particularly important to him in the final days of his life. 

 “Unlike some other royals, Prince Philip will be generous to the three men who looked after him,” an insider close to Buckingham Palace told the Sun.

It's rumored that one of these men is Brigadier Archie Miller Bakewell, the Duke's private secretary. The former British army man had served the royal consort for over a decade, organizing his work diary and representing him at public events. 

Known to be one of the Royal Family's most trusted aides, he was one of the 30 guests permitted to attend Prince Philip's Covid-safe funeral at Windsor Castle. William Henderson, Philip's page, and Stephen Niedojadlo, his valet, will also reportedly receive an inheritance. Both men played a special role in the Duke's life in his old age, taking turns to care for him at Sandringham Estate as his health declined. It's even been said that Henderson was present with Philip in the two days prior to his death at Windsor Castle. 

As to be expected, Her Majesty, as co-owner of the couple's assets, will likely receive the bulk of her husband's fortune. Prince Philip and the Queen's children have reportedly been encouraged to take " “take what they want” from his library of 13,000 books at Buckingham Palace, while Prince William and Prince Harry will also be given a cut of his estate.