How A Tribe Living On A Remote Island In The Pacific Ocean Ended Up Believing Prince Philip Was A God

It is unclear what began the initial movement, believed by a small community of the Yaohnanen tribe on the island. But at some point over 50 years ago, members of the tribe began to believe that Prince Philip – the husband of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom – was a god prophesized to return to Tanna.

"The oral history of Yaohnanen people of Tanna Island contains a tale about the son of a mountain spirit who travelled to a distant place. Once there, he was said to have married a powerful woman but it was prophesied that he would one day return home," one paper explains.

"In 1974, Queen Elizabeth II and her husband Prince Philip made an official visit to Tanna Island. The Yaohnanen people, seeing the level of respect accorded to Queen Elizabeth by the various government officials, concluded that Prince Philip must be the son of the mountain spirit referred to in their legends. The Cult of Prince Philip was born."

Prince Philip isn't the ideal person to have chosen to revere in this way, and no doubt somebody out there was nervous about what he might say when he met with members of the tribe. For example, in 2002, he asked an Aboriginal leader "Do you still throw spears at each other?", whilst in 1998, he asked a British student in Papua New Guinea "You managed not to get eaten, then?". 

But with the Yaohnanen people, he was surprisingly sensitive. In 1974, he and the Queen visited and reportedly took part in kava drinking rituals, and he later obligingly posed for pictures with a traditional stick used to kill pigs called a nal-nal, a gift sent to him by the tribe. 

However, it's possible he may have led them on a little. In 2007, several tribe members were flown to the UK for a TV show, in which they had an off-screen meeting with the duke. After the meeting, the tribe members claimed Philip had said "when it turns warm, I will send a message" when asked when he was returning home, very much winking at the idea he might be some sort of god.

How did they end up seeing Prince Philip as a divine figure? There are some versions of the story that suggest that the Yaohnanen people saw images of the Queen and her husband at British colonial outposts during the colonial era, and connected him with the legend after seeing the respect afforded to him on a visit to the area. 

However, things are rarely this simple, with Vanuatu-based journalist Dan McGarry explaining to the BBC it could be more a "reaction to colonial presence, a way of re-appropriating and taking back colonial power by associating themselves with someone who sits at the right hand of the ruler of the Commonwealth". In essence, asserting that Prince Philip was theirs.

According to the myth, the Prince was attempting to bring peace to the world, and had to deal with a lot of war, jealousy, greed, and fighting before he could return home. Unfortunately, Prince Philip died in 2021. Following his death, there was a lot of speculation as to whether the movement would continue with a new figurehead. Some suggested that may have happened following the coronation of King Charles III, with members of the tribe reportedly declaring him the "son of our power". 

Let's all just breathe a sigh of relief they didn't go with his youngest brother.