Tribe Who Worship Prince Philip As Deity Considering Replacing Him With Son Charles

The remote South Pacific tribe who worshipped Prince Philip as a deity is considering anointing Prince Charles as his successor.

The tribespeople on the small island of Tanna in Vanuatu were left devastated when news of the Duke of Edinburgh's death broke and have since entered an 100-day mourning period to mark his passing.

Chief Charlie Kahla of Yakel said: "I never [met] him but I'm very sorry [for his loss]. We have a strong relationship with him.

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"My heart is full of sorrow to hear it. He will rise again while his body remains rotten. His spirit will [come] back [to] live with us."

The villagers believe the late Duke of Edinburgh was a god and prayed to him daily to protect their crops, but with the news of his death they are now reportedly considering lining Prince Charles up as his successor.

Chief Malia told the Daily Mail: "If [Prince Charles] would agree to come some day, then he must come down here so that we can sit together and talk."

However, Yakel chief Albi believes it's too soon to say.

He added: "The spirit of Prince Philip has left his body, but it lives on - it is too soon to say where it will reside."

The tribe also passed on their condolences to the Royal Family in a video message.

In the clip, village chief Yapa, says: "In 2007 we were taken to England. The connection between the people on the Island of Tanna and the English people is very strong.

"We are sending condolence messages to the royal family and the people of England."

The sad news of his death was given to the tribe by a woman working at a nearby resort.

Jean-Pascal Wahe via Storyful

Mary Niere, who works as an accountant at the White Grass Ocean Resort and Spa, told The Daily Mail that the news had been a real blow to the community there.

Explaining how she delivered the news to an elderly man in the tribe's village, she said: "When I told him he was shocked and asked if I was telling the truth because he couldn't believe it.

"They had to send messages to the yam garden to get the people back and when the chief (Charlie) came and everyone found out. They were very, very sad.

"The men were silent and looking down. Many of the women were very emotional and crying a lot."

Topics: World News, Royal Family

Claire Reid

Claire is a journalist at LADbible who, after dossing around for a few years, went to Liverpool John Moores University. She graduated with a degree in Journalism and a whole load of debt. When not writing words in exchange for money she is usually at home watching serial killer documentaries surrounded by cats. You can contact Claire at [email protected]

@ClaireReid19