Thousands of miles away from the United Kingdom, members of the Prince Philip Movement in Tanna, Vanuatu, revere the late Duke of Edinburgh as the fulfillment of an ancient religious prophecy.

In the southwestern Pacific Ocean stands the country of Vanuatu, a chain of 13 principal and numerous smaller islands. According to archaeological evidence, the islands have been inhabited for thousands of years, with the earliest settlements dating back to 2000 BCE. As such, the people of Vanuatu are entrenched in a deeply rich culture, reflected through the nation’s over 100 different languages and various vibrant ceremonies expressed through body art and ritualistic masks. However, encounters with the colonial empires of France and Britain throughout the 18th and 19th centuries influenced the island’s religious belief systems. Christianity, for example, was introduced to the country by European missionaries in the 19th century, quickly spreading throughout Vanuatu. This blending Western and local traditions led to the creation of new cultural practices, exemplified by the Prince Philip Movement.

Among the Vanuatu archipelago is the southern island of Tanna, home to the Yaohnanen village. In this village, a small sect of people are part of the Prince Philip Movement, a religious belief that Prince Philip, the late Duke of Edinburgh and husband to the late Queen Elizabeth II, is the pale-skinned son of an ancient mountain spirit. The legend stems from local “kastom,” or the traditional, customary and living culture upheld by the community. Ancient Yaohnanen tales tell the story of the son of a mountain spirit who had departed from Tanna in search of a distant land, where he married an influential woman. His return would be awaited, and when he was to arrive again, he would bring wealth and abundance back to his land. Although the Prince Philip Movement likely began in the 1950s, the belief strengthened in 1974, when Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth II visited the islands on a yacht. Anchored outside a neighboring island; it is here where the then Yaohnanen Chief, Jack Naiva, paddled out in a canoe, saw the prince and instinctually knew that he was the fulfillment of this ancient prophecy. The belief includes Christian elements as well, as the Yaohnanen people also recognize Prince Philip as a savior figure. 

As faith grew in the local community, members of the movement believed the Duke had been born in their homeland but was keeping Tanna custom alive in the United Kingdom. His connection to the ancient story was also bolstered by the fact that he also married a powerful woman, the Queen of England, in this distant land. Since then, the Duke has held a special status among the people of Tanna and maintained a relationship with them even after Vanuatu gained independence from Britain and France in 1980. During this time, the local people sent a traditional pig-killing club, or a nal-nal, to the prince in London. In return, he sent a picture of himself holding the object; the image has since been revered and considered a sacred item in the religious tradition. They have also shown respect to the Queen of England through an ancient dance ritual to celebrate her Platinum Jubilee and even made King Charles “High Chief” when he visited Vanuatu in 2018.

When Prince Philip passed away in 2021, the Yaohnanen people joined the British in mourning his death, gathering to perform remembrance ceremonies, including ritualistic dances and drinking kava, a ceremonial drink. His death deeply affected those on the island who considered the Duke not just a deity figure, but one of their own people. Although he was never able to physically return to the island, Movement members believe that his spirit returned to their homeland, fulfilling the ancient prophecy.