![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/QL5ETGNM4ZJRG3QI2EO4BR6MXQ.jpg?smart=true&auth=a1431c721e4e11fc4fc10224960fb96d78227a50bfbb76ee64fd42871f077886&width=400&height=225)
Chief Jack Naiva and some of his tribe, who worship Prince Philip. With the death of the prince, Tanna islanders may turn to his son, Prince Charles. Shutterstock
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/VQX2HIBT5PJWW2MRF32DUWZV4M.jpg?smart=true&auth=c895352682e0d2841b3a478df71e07ae32ef4df303d3d139d1ab2e8058ddb3ed&width=400&height=225)
A village elder from Tanna island, Vanuatu, in the South Pacific, holds a picture of Britain's Prince Philip, who died on Friday. He is worshiped as a deity in the village of Younanen. Reuters
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/ZUCGHAJCNUVMYMTMNWZE52MH34.jpg?smart=true&auth=2a6eed6e20af27fd9d2408059437c2e1b3082c4f4057e512a305687926e70bcc&width=400&height=225)
Village chief Jack Malia, right, from Tanna island holds pictures of Britain's Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth II, next to other villagers in Younanen. Reuters
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/SAKLDOEEQC4PTHWPOA23L3R2HM.jpg?smart=true&auth=0eca6d8e262ffb2ba326077a4bc50f9c00d4f2130a6b6c9396a8e2019c4b143f&width=400&height=225)
Villagers from Younanen show pictures of Prince Philip. A religious sect there, the Prince Philip Movement, is centred around the prince. Reuters
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/YTC5HZ3I2BIP2QKVRBD2RA6VYA.jpg?smart=true&auth=1ee1c3a9d2908e2ccc6445cfbf0381a361437c809df34dc22ef96fdd91def163&width=400&height=225)
Village chief Jack Malia, centre, holds a picture of Prince Philip in Younanen. Villagers pray to the prince, asking for his blessing on their crops. Reuters
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/A74RWNDUVZ3BEJJETBT52QS5XU.jpg?smart=true&auth=9586dc5d53b6fca13f7bc2efc17d600b3c31f781edca7cf37580f2be2d31f2dc&width=400&height=225)
Sikor Natuan, the son of the local chief, shows two portraits of Prince Philip in the remote village of Younanen. AFP
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/3HP4H4YNYUNMJNWLL4LOIVQ3GA.jpg?smart=true&auth=323e5de8f70d648ac3ec74ced41dac5d7d2f8a6cdc2c76817bc66cb14b165e66&width=400&height=225)
Chief Jack Naiva on Tanna shows a photograph that Prince Philip sent him, in which the prince is posing with a nal-nal war club the islanders sent to him in the 1970s. Shutterstock
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/6MGRQAOU6R5RXBDB4Z7ZOV73BI.jpg?smart=true&auth=d6db79da5a45053ae4c441060c5b4c48fa0d58634648fa1e419dbb55be57354e&width=400&height=225)
Albi Nagia poses with photographs of Prince Philip on Tanna. He is part of a movement that worships the prince as a diety. Shutterstock
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/QL5ETGNM4ZJRG3QI2EO4BR6MXQ.jpg?smart=true&auth=a1431c721e4e11fc4fc10224960fb96d78227a50bfbb76ee64fd42871f077886&width=400&height=225)
Chief Jack Naiva and some of his tribe, who worship Prince Philip. With the death of the prince, Tanna islanders may turn to his son, Prince Charles. Shutterstock
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/VQX2HIBT5PJWW2MRF32DUWZV4M.jpg?smart=true&auth=c895352682e0d2841b3a478df71e07ae32ef4df303d3d139d1ab2e8058ddb3ed&width=400&height=225)
A village elder from Tanna island, Vanuatu, in the South Pacific, holds a picture of Britain's Prince Philip, who died on Friday. He is worshiped as a deity in the village of Younanen. Reuters
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/ZUCGHAJCNUVMYMTMNWZE52MH34.jpg?smart=true&auth=2a6eed6e20af27fd9d2408059437c2e1b3082c4f4057e512a305687926e70bcc&width=400&height=225)
Village chief Jack Malia, right, from Tanna island holds pictures of Britain's Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth II, next to other villagers in Younanen. Reuters
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/SAKLDOEEQC4PTHWPOA23L3R2HM.jpg?smart=true&auth=0eca6d8e262ffb2ba326077a4bc50f9c00d4f2130a6b6c9396a8e2019c4b143f&width=400&height=225)
Villagers from Younanen show pictures of Prince Philip. A religious sect there, the Prince Philip Movement, is centred around the prince. Reuters
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/YTC5HZ3I2BIP2QKVRBD2RA6VYA.jpg?smart=true&auth=1ee1c3a9d2908e2ccc6445cfbf0381a361437c809df34dc22ef96fdd91def163&width=400&height=225)
Village chief Jack Malia, centre, holds a picture of Prince Philip in Younanen. Villagers pray to the prince, asking for his blessing on their crops. Reuters
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/A74RWNDUVZ3BEJJETBT52QS5XU.jpg?smart=true&auth=9586dc5d53b6fca13f7bc2efc17d600b3c31f781edca7cf37580f2be2d31f2dc&width=400&height=225)
Sikor Natuan, the son of the local chief, shows two portraits of Prince Philip in the remote village of Younanen. AFP
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/3HP4H4YNYUNMJNWLL4LOIVQ3GA.jpg?smart=true&auth=323e5de8f70d648ac3ec74ced41dac5d7d2f8a6cdc2c76817bc66cb14b165e66&width=400&height=225)
Chief Jack Naiva on Tanna shows a photograph that Prince Philip sent him, in which the prince is posing with a nal-nal war club the islanders sent to him in the 1970s. Shutterstock
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/6MGRQAOU6R5RXBDB4Z7ZOV73BI.jpg?smart=true&auth=d6db79da5a45053ae4c441060c5b4c48fa0d58634648fa1e419dbb55be57354e&width=400&height=225)
Albi Nagia poses with photographs of Prince Philip on Tanna. He is part of a movement that worships the prince as a diety. Shutterstock
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/QL5ETGNM4ZJRG3QI2EO4BR6MXQ.jpg?smart=true&auth=a1431c721e4e11fc4fc10224960fb96d78227a50bfbb76ee64fd42871f077886&width=400&height=225)
Chief Jack Naiva and some of his tribe, who worship Prince Philip. With the death of the prince, Tanna islanders may turn to his son, Prince Charles. Shutterstock
Prince Philip mourned by tribe who may now worship Prince Charles
Prince Philip appears to have been singled out for deification by an isolated Pacific island tribe because of a local myth
![Robert Tollast](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/https%3A%2F%2Fs3.amazonaws.com%2Farc-authors%2Fthenational%2F072875d5-f5fb-4517-9cce-38ace67d45b9.png?smart=true&auth=7af48bbbcf1a4e39e578898066778cb14924b2c9315abfd913973725dbda45d3&width=70&height=70)
Robert Tollast
11 April, 2021
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