Analysis: A court battle is brewing over Prince Philip’s will
A version of this story appeared in the November 19 edition of CNN’s Royal News, a weekly dispatch bringing you the inside track on Britain’s royal family. Sign up here. In September, Andrew McFarlane, president of the High Court’s Family Division, ruled that Philip’s will would be sealed for 90 years. Among the few present was a lawyer representing the duke’s estate from law firm Farrer & Co, the Queen’s private solicitors, and the attorney general, the government’s chief legal adviser. The media weren’t told of the hearing or permitted to attend, with the public interest represented by the attorney general.A Guardian News & Media spokesperson told CNN in an emailed statement that the High Court’s decision to ban the media from the court hearing without informing outlets or allowing them to make representations “is a clear threat to the principles of open justice.”The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge dressed in their finest for a night out at the Royal Albert Hall in London on Thursday. The couple left the children at home to watch the Royal Variety Performance. The annual show — which this year marked a century of royal patronage — is held to fundraise and support members of the entertainment industry. After the show, the couple were photographed chatting with comedian Bill Bailey and musician Ed Sheeran, among others.
“It is hard to believe that it is over 50 years since Prince Philip and I attended the very first meeting of the General Synod. None of us can slow the passage of time; and while we often focus on all that has changed in the intervening years, much remains unchanged, including the Gospel of Christ and his teachings.”
The Queen sent a message to the General Synod, the Church of England’s legislative body, for its opening session on Tuesday.
Thanks for reading today’s send — we hope you enjoyed it. Just a heads-up that we’re taking a brief break over Thanksgiving next week but will be back to bring you all the comings and goings of the Windsors on December 3. –Max & Lauren
