Prince Philip left cash to three closest aides in will; but bulk of £30m estate to go to family

Prince Philip has left behind an estimated £30 million in his will, most of which will go to his wife Queen Elizabeth II, while a significant amount will be distributed among the rest of the British royal family.

However, the Prince Consort who passed away last month at the age of 99, has not forgotten his three senior aides who looked after him in his final years. A source close to Buckingham Palace told The Sun that the royal has left financial gifts in his will for his private secretary Brigadier Archie Miller-Bakewell and pages William Henderson and Stephen Niedojadlo.

"Unlike some other royals, Prince Philip will be generous to the three men who looked after him," the source said.

The trio were also a part of the group of Prince Philip's six aides who walked behind the royal family members and his coffin at his funeral procession from Windsor Castle to St George's Chapel on April 17. However, none of the men entered the Chapel for the service because only 30 guests were allowed inside due to COVID-19 restrictions.

The three aides formed a part of Prince Philip's inner circle. The two pages used to take turns to spend a week with the royal at Wood Farm on the Sandringham estate in Norfolk, where he relocated after retiring from royal duties in 2017 at the age of 96. The Duke stayed at the simply-furnished five-bedroom cottage for almost three years before he joined his wife at the Windsor Castle for their annual spring holiday last year, and never left due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Henderson and Niedojadlo were also brought in to help look after the Queen when other staff had to self-isolate amid the pandemic. Henderson, who started in Buckingham Palace as a cleaner in the 1980s, was awarded the Royal Victorian Order (RVO) by the Queen in 2011. Niedojadlo also received the honour in October last year.

Apart from his aides, Prince Philip has also left possessions to his eight grandchildren in the will which would have been "sorted out quite a while ago." Prince Harry, the fourth grandchild and third grandson of the late royal, is also expected to receive a significant amount despite his recent interviews against the royal family, one of which was aired while Philip was still in the hospital.

"Philip was not the sort of character to punish a grandson [Harry] for misbehaving. He was a very fair, even-handed and lovely man. Never held a grudge," the royal source said.

"Philip had plenty of time to sort out all the legal stuff so it wouldn't attract inheritance tax. He was no more of a fan of leaving his cash to the Treasury than anyone else," the insider added.

In addition to the vast fortune left for them in the will, Philip's four children- Prince Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Edward, and Prince Andrew were told they can "take what they want" from his library at Buckingham Palace which boasts of 13,000 books.