The nation is in a state of mourning after the death of the Queen’s husband, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, aged 99.

When a person dies, one of the most important questions is who will inherit that person’s property. Whilst Prince Philip lived a very different life to many of us, that question is still relevant even for a man of his stature and fame.

Whilst the Royal Family have not confirmed the contents of Prince Philip’s will, it is likely that some assets will remain in the control of the Queen. For example, Prince Philip’s art collection, co-owned with the Queen, would most likely pass to her sole control. His estimated fortune of £24 million is likely to be distributed between the Queen and his four children, and potentially other members of the family.

However, the residences that Philip has stayed in over his life, such as Buckingham Palace, Balmoral Castle and Windsor Castle, would not form part of his estate as he did not own them and should not form part of the will.

It is expected that his title, the Duke of Edinburgh, will eventually pass to his youngest son, Prince Edward.

We would always recommend that an individual leaves a valid will to provide for the disposition of their property. Doing this can avoid many of the common types of will disputes that can occur during the administration of a person’s estate.

If you would like advice about a will dispute or any type of contentious probate case, please call 01902 424927 and ask to speak to one of our specialist contentious probate lawyers. Alternatively, please e-mail us at contentiousprobate@georgegreen.co.uk providing a brief summary of the issues you wish to discuss with us, along with your contact details.

We have a dedicated practice team of contentious probate solicitors, covering all areas of the UK (with offices near Birmingham and in Wolverhampton) who are experienced in dealing with all types of contentious probate matters, including challenging a will and estate disputes.

We also have a team of probate lawyers who can assist if you wish to review you current will or to make a will for the first time.

We offer an initial no obligation telephone consultation for contentious probate disputes and we can sometimes act for clients who want to contest a will or commence an inheritance dispute/probate dispute on a no win no fee basis.