The Prince Philip Movement, a Vanuatu cargo cult, began in Yakel and Yaohnanen villages on Tanna Island in 1950, venerating Prince Philip as divine. The belief's origin is uncertain, with one version linking it to a 20th-century legend about a white man born from the Yasur volcano spirit, destined to travel the world and marry a queen. The movement gained momentum in the 1950s when islanders saw a portrait of Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth II in British colonial buildings.
The faith, devoid of physical artifacts, centers on private prayers, and despite its abstract nature, believers yearly celebrate Prince Philip's birthday in anticipation of his return. The village marked Prince Harry's wedding with a lively party and pig slaughtering. The 2007 reality show "Meet the Natives" brought five men from the village to London to meet Prince Philip, a moment of religious significance never repeated.
Prince Philip's 2021 death prompted an extended village mourning period, marked by kava consumption and pig slaughtering. A debate now arises on whether the faith will focus on Prince Philip's spirit or his physical form, or if the deity's position will become hereditary, passing to the new king.
Yakel, Tanna island, Vanuatu, 2023