Visit Vanuatu

The Tannesian tribe is thought to have been strongly connected to Prince Philip through this act, considering him a natural portrayal of the old captain of warriors who returned home with his beloved Queen Elizabeth II. "At Tanna, conventional beliefs are a 24/7 situation," Mr. Huffman said to ABC.

"For them, Prince Philip reigns England with the Queen's help and supports a tradition of living. The 96-year-old Duke of Edinburgh has largely withdrawn from civil service last year and is retiring after a hips operation at the beginning of this year.

However, despite his old age the villagers believe that one of these days he will come back to Tanna, probably in a spirit. "There is no such thing as Death as we know it on Tanna, in a way there is soul recycling," Mr. Huffman commented. "There is no beginning and no end. Prince Philip is only one limb in a continuous and never-ending series... there is no beginning and no end.

" However, while Prince Charles' visit to Vanuatu will delight the natives, Mr Huffman said that it is unlikely that the village people will have a similar connection with the Prince of Wales. "It is interesting that Prince Charles did not appear in the tales at all, he does not play a role in them," he said.

"They are all fixed on Prince Philip.