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It all started with a scandal in the 1900s. A royal with a mistress to whom he literally left the  family jewels...

After much pubic embarrassment and a costly ruby buy back programme, it became the practice that Royal Family Wills be sealed and secret. Now, even distant relatives may get the royal treatment of a secret Will!

Either in the U.S.A. or (for non-royals) in England, if YOU want the details of your Will kept private...you are royally out of luck...unless you also have a trust.

Our intrepid host and probate guru Bob Sewell found it fascinating that the High Court  ordered that Prince Philip’s Will be kept secret for 90 years. This is a departure from the general rule that wills are open to inspection by the public after being admitted to probate. 

However, Prince Philip’s Will was judged to fall within the sole exception that a Will may be kept private if the court agrees that it would be “undesirable or otherwise inappropriate” to publish it.

What does that even mean?  Is that even legal? Our guests, probate litigators and estate experts Judith Swinhoe-Standen and Geoff Kertesz join us from across the pond to expound on royal secrets!

Don't miss it.

For more legal reading, here is their recent article:

https://www.stewartslaw.com/news/why-prince-philips-will-and-other-royal-wills-are-kept-secret/