Royal Heirs

The "Megxit" in January 2020 is still causing a stir. Prince Harry is working through his fate in a media-effective way: The press, the expectations, the customs. He felt "trapped in the royal system", from which he has now freed himself and his small family. No office in sight and yet in the limelight. Hardly any duties, but many privileges. The siblings of the heirs to the throne seem to have an easier life, but does that make them happier people?

Queen Beatrix and Prince Claus of the Netherlands gave their younger sons the chance to lead a self-determined life: study, job, personal responsibility was the parental motto in the 1980s. Princes Friso and Constantijn have shown that royalty and a career can go hand in hand. But Friso had to give up his place in the line of succession to the throne for his wife Mabel. Parliament did not want to approve the marriage. Away from the public eye, the top manager and family man led a full life, which ended tragically in 2013.

For Märtha Louise of Norway, her marriage to the scene poet Ari Behn was a self-chosen step towards the freedom she longed for. She had always felt like two people, the princess and the person Märtha Louise. But even today, almost 20 years after leaving the royal family, her origins still determine her life. Whether it's her job, her world view or her love, the public is still involved in the debate.

First broadcast: Tuesday, July 13, 2021, 21:00 on ZDF.