Queen Elizabeth II's will detailing the extent of her massive fortune will stay locked in London safe for next 90 years
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM: The practice of sealing the wills of dead royals dates back to 1910. Even the seldom remembered Prince Francis of Teck has his will among the more than 30 kept in a safe in an undisclosed location in London. The Queen's will would provide some insight into Her Majesty's wealth, but it shall not be seen for at least nine decades. Just like the tradition demands, the will of Queen Elizabeth II, will be sealed and locked in a safe for at least 90 years.
By convention, after a senior royal dies, the executor of their will applies to the head of the London High Court's Family Division for the will to be sealed. Successive judges in that position have always agreed to this request.
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This was also seen last year when Judge McFarlane allocated with the application to seal the Duke of Edinburgh's will.
However, although he agreed to the sealing, he also decided to publish his ruling in order to give the public an insight.
Judge McFarlane wrote in his ruling "It is necessary to enhance the protection afforded to the private lives of this unique group of individuals, in order to protect the dignity and standing of the public role of the sovereign and other close members of Her family.There is no true public interest in the public knowing this wholly private information. The media interest in this respect is commercial. The degree of publicity that publication would be likely to attract would be very extensive and wholly contrary to the aim of maintaining the dignity of the Sovereign."
The will of Prince Philip has now been sealed for 90 years as rule 58 of the Non-Contentious Probate Rules 1987 states an original will or document "shall not be open to inspection if, in the opinion of a District Judge or Registrar, such inspection would be undesirable or inappropriate". The judge revealed the existence of the safe containing the royal wills and that, as the current president of the Family Division, he was in charge of it even though he had no idea of the contents of the sealed documents. Following this, the Queen's will is also to be heard in private. And the will when it is deposited in the safe alongside her husband's, will join those of her mother Elizabeth and sister Princess Margaret, who both died in 2002.
