The future of monarchies: Who is waiting for the throne in Europe
Published: Monday, Jan 1st 2024, 11:20
العودة إلى البث المباشر
For 70 years, he was a monarch in waiting. Charles is now actually the British king - and has an experienced heir to the throne in his son William. What is the situation in the rest of Europe?
One has recently come of age, one hardly knows what is in store for him and one is now following his mother unexpectedly quickly. Curtain up for the future kings and queens of Europe - and a prince. An overview of the heirs to the throne.
BELGIUM - THE FIRST OF ITS KIND
As women have only been able to ascend the throne in Belgium since a constitutional amendment in the early 1990s, Princess Elisabeth is the first female heir to the throne in the small country. Just like the men before her, the 22-year-old took the oath of office last year. The eldest of four siblings completed her schooling in Wales and graduated from the Royal Military School in Belgium.
Elisabeth is currently studying at Lincoln College, Oxford University. According to the palace, she enjoys skiing, rowing and sailing, as well as cooking. The Duchess of Brabant, as her official title is, is popular with the people - the royal family is an important stabilizing factor in the traditionally divided country between the North Sea and the Ardennes.
NETHERLANDS - "POCKET MONEY" IN THE MILLIONS POSSIBLE
Crown Princess Amalia, who celebrates her 20th birthday on December 7, should grow up as unencumbered as possible. She is currently studying in Amsterdam. King Willem-Alexander and his wife Máxima are allowing her and her sisters Alexia (18) and Ariane (16) a relatively normal youth. But since her 18th birthday, the Orange Princess has had official duties and, as heir to the throne, is a member of the Council of State, an advisory body to the government. She also gave her first official speech there.
At the beginning of last year, Amalia made her first big trip as crown princess - to the six Caribbean islands that belong to the kingdom. And she will be attending "Prinsjesdag", the opening of the parliamentary year in September. Incidentally, Amalia is also entitled to an "allowance" of around 1.6 million euros a year. But when there was a lot of unrest about this among the people, she decided to forgo it for the time being: "I find it unpleasant as long as I can't provide anything in return."
GREAT BRITAIN - THE BEST KNOWN IS OFTEN THE CENTER OF ATTENTION
Prince William is probably the best-known heir to the throne in Europe. It is unlikely that the 41-year-old will have to wait as long as his father Charles (75) to become king. The reigning monarch was in the starting blocks for 70 years until he succeeded his mother Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022. With wife Princess Kate and children Prince George (10), Princess Charlotte (8) and Prince Louis (5), William is seen as a symbol of a modern future for the monarchy.
William is already familiar with the duties of a king and represents the Royal Family at numerous appointments at home and abroad. Like his father, the environment and nature are particularly close to his heart. With the Earthshot Prize, William has created an award that promotes sustainability. He has also repeatedly drawn attention to animal welfare with animal filmmaker David Attenborough. His relationship with his younger brother Prince Harry is problematic and is considered to have broken down.
DENMARK - THE SCANDINAVIAN PRINCE CHARLES
In Denmark, the big change comes as a surprise in January: Queen Margrethe II abdicates on January 14 after more than five decades as regent. In her New Year's address, she cited a back operation last year as the background to her decision, which she had survived well but which had made her reflect. Crown Prince Frederik had already stood in for the 83-year-old due to her operation - he will now succeed her as Frederik X.
The announcement came unexpectedly at the turn of the year. Some had begun to see Crown Prince Frederik as a kind of Danish Prince Charles. Since the death of Queen Elizabeth II, his mother has been the longest-serving monarch in the world, while his son has been heir to the throne for 53 years and is actually greying slightly. He has recently been able to call on the help of his eldest son Prince Christian, who turned 18 in October and can now officially represent his father and the Queen. The 55-year-old crown prince is committed to sport, is a member of the jury for the selection of athletes of the year and founded the Royal Run running event.
NORWAY - HEIR TO THE THRONE WITH PRACTICE
The Norwegian Crown Prince Haakon already has a certain amount of practice. His father, King Harald V (86), has recurring health problems and is then replaced by his son. Among other things, Haakon is committed to environmental issues and attended a German-Norwegian conference on the climate-friendly restructuring of the economy in November. There he called the green transition a necessity and an opportunity, but also conceded: "We haven't done enough and we're not moving fast enough."
The 50-year-old has just extended his contract as a special envoy for the UN Development Program UNDP and is committed to the fight against poverty and the sustainable use of the oceans. But he is also involved in defense issues. Unfortunately, these are more relevant "than we had hoped", said Haakon, who is interested in music, is a keen surfer and, as a Norwegian, naturally skis - not only in the snow, but also on the water.
SWEDEN - CROWN PRINCESS AS CONFLICT RESEARCHER
Crown Princess Victoria showed just how serious she is about her commitment to peace work when she commemorated Sweden's campaigns in the Thirty Years' War (1618 to 1648) on Remembrance Day in Germany. "As a Swede, I am aware that this war was long regarded in Germany as the original catastrophe," said the 46-year-old in German, her mother's language, and called for respect for international law.
Victoria has a degree in peace and conflict studies and has completed basic military training. She is an advocate for environmental, climate and sustainability issues and is committed to the health of children and young people. Her father King Carl XVI Gustaf taught her the meaning of duty, she said in Berlin, emphasizing that duty also has its beautiful side: "It gives us the opportunity to become part of something much bigger than ourselves."
SPAIN - OF AGE AND IN THE MILITARY THROUGH THE MUD
As the eldest child of King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia, Crown Princess Leonor is being prepared for her role from an early age. The petite blonde girl with the often dreamy face is the hope of the monarchy, which had lost its prestige due to scandals. On October 31, her 18th birthday, she took the oath of allegiance to the constitution. Should she succeed her father (55) at some point, Leonor would become Spain's first female head of state since 1868.
Leonor attended her first reception at the age of four. She became heir to the throne when her scandal-ridden grandfather King Juan Carlos abdicated in 2014. Like her younger sister Sofía, she attended a private school in Madrid and another in the UK for the last two years before leaving school. She then embarked on three years of military training. The future commander-in-chief learned to shoot, climbed into tanks and probably also had to crawl through the mud in military fatigues.
MONACO - THE YOUNGEST OF THE BUNCH
For Prince Jacques, the succession is unlikely to play a major role yet. "He is still small, only eight years old," Prince Albert II recently told the newspaper "Corriere della Sera" about his son. "But in a few years, I will begin to prepare him for the responsibility." Jacques and twin sister Gabriella are already making an appearance at a number of appointments. However, mother Princess Charlène emphasized that they should live like other children. Jacques is very reserved, but observes a lot and trains in taekwondo, for example.
The fact that Jacques is the heir to the throne, even though Gabriella was born two minutes earlier, is due to the fact that the Principality stipulates that the first male offspring is the heir to the throne. And because this is supposed to be a legitimate child, the role falls to Jacques and not to the twins' 20-year-old half-brother, Alexandre Grimaldi.
LIECHTENSTEIN AND LUXEMBOURG - IN THE SHADOW OF THE BIG ONES
They are often overlooked among the aristocratic houses of Europe. However, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and the Principality of Liechtenstein are also hereditary monarchies. In Luxembourg, Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume (42) will one day move to the top. The eldest son of Grand Duke Henri (68) completed his schooling in Switzerland and then trained as an officer in Great Britain before studying there and in France. He has two young sons with his wife Stéphanie.
In Liechtenstein, the heir to the throne is already in charge. Prince Hans-Adam II (78) handed over his duties to his eldest son Hereditary Prince Alois (55) in 2004. "Together they represent the continuity of the Princely House and the stability of the country," it is emphasized in Vaduz. Alois was also educated at the British military academy Sandhurst and then served in London and Hong Kong. His wife Sophie is a daughter of Max Herzog in Bavaria. The couple have three sons and a daughter.
©كيستون/إسدا
Arabic 
English 
German 
French 
Spanish