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Vanuatu is an island in the South Pacific, to the west of Fiji. The
nation was under the joint rule of the United Kingdom and
France until 1980, when it attained independence. However, it
continues to remain a part of the Commonwealth, and is occasionally
visited by members of the Royal Family.
However, there is one royal whose visits are more
anticipated than those of others. In a remote village on the
island of Tanna, Vanuatu, the people believe that the Duke of
Edinburgh is a god, descended from ancient spirits. The belief
originates from an age-old tale about the son of a mountain spirit,
one with pale skin, venturing to another nation to marry a
rich and powerful woman. When Prince Philip visited the island with
The Queen in 1974, the locals began to associate the legend with
him – after all, he was married to a powerful woman!
The islanders’ most prized possessions are three official portraits
of the Duke of Edinburgh, signed by the Duke himself. The
pictures were sent to Vanuatu from London with the permission
of Prince Philip, who is well aware of his status in that country.
In return, the locals sent him a club used for killing pigs, and
the Prince responded by sending them yet another picture, this time
of him posing with the club.
Princess Anne will be in Vanuatu from the 25th to the 29th of
October. While her visit will allow her to support military and
charitable organisations in the region, the final itinerary has not
been decided upon, but will be released by the Palace in due
course. The Princess previously visited Port Vila, the capital
of Vanuatu, when she accompanied her parents on the royal tour in
1974.
Click here to read more about the island where Prince Philip is
worshipped as a god.
Photo credit: BiblioArchives / LibraryArchives via photopin cc]]>
I wish you, Princess Royal all the best on your visit to Vanutu…and God’s blessings.
There are 83 islands in the Vanuatu group. Tanna is just one of them and only 2 villages worship Prince Philip. They are lovely people and very sincere in their belief. However, this article makes it sound like the whole country of Vanuatu worships him, which is simply not the case.