Cover Princess Leonor of Spain is among the young royals stepping into the global spotlight (Photo: Marcel Van Dorst/Eye4Images/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Princess Leonor of Spain is among the young royals stepping into the global spotlight (Photo: Marcel Van Dorst/Eye4Images/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
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A new generation of royals is stepping into the spotlight, from Europe’s future queens to Asia’s dynastic custodians and the Middle East’s digital-savvy crown princes
When King Harald V of Norway died in August at the age of 89, the crown passed automatically to his son, now King Haakon VIII—and attention turned to 22-year-old Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra, next in line. Her rise is a reminder that the royals people follow most closely are no longer only the reigning ones. Across Europe, Asia and the Middle East, a generation of heirs is preparing for thrones in a very different age, shaped by absolute primogeniture, constant scrutiny and social media. Some are cadets and scholars; others are ministers, poets and football owners. Here are seven royal heirs shaping the future of monarchy.
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Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway: the future queen set to make history
Born on January 21, 2004, Ingrid Alexandra became Crown Princess the moment her father took the throne. Among today’s royals, she is the first Norwegian heir whose place in line rests on absolute primogeniture, introduced in 1990, and she is on course to be Norway’s first reigning queen since the Middle Ages. After military service, she studied international relations and political economy at the University of Sydney, then continued at the University of Oslo. She now attends weekly Cabinet meetings and can serve as Regent when the King is away.
Princess Leonor of Spain: the military-trained heir behind ‘Leonormania’
Leonor, Princess of Asturias, is 20 and has spent three years training across Spain’s Army, Navy and Air Force, finishing at the San Javier Air Force Academy, where she trained on the Pilatus PC-21. In September 2026, she began a four-year political science degree at Carlos III University of Madrid. Her composed, duty-first image has fuelled “Leonormania” in the Spanish press and has been credited with renewing public goodwill for the Crown. One day, she will become Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces.
Princess Elisabeth of Belgium: the Oxford- and Harvard-educated future queen
Princess Elisabeth, Duchess of Brabant, is the first woman to be heir apparent to the Belgian throne, a change that followed the 1991 repeal of Salic law. The eldest child of King Philippe and Queen Mathilde trained at Belgium’s Royal Military Academy, read history and politics at Lincoln College, Oxford and graduated from the Harvard Kennedy School with a Master in Public Policy in May 2026. At 24, she has built an academic and diplomatic profile few young royals can rival.
Prince Hisahito of Japan: the only male heir of his generation
Prince Hisahito is second in line to the Chrysanthemum Throne and the only male of his generation among Japan’s royals. Because the 1947 Imperial Household Law limits succession to males, his role carries enormous symbolic weight, and his coming-of-age ceremony in September 2025 was the first for a male imperial in 40 years. Now 20, he studies biology at the University of Tsukuba and has co-authored a paper on dragonflies at his Akasaka estate, while Japan’s debate over succession reform remains unresolved.
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Sheikh Hamdan of Dubai: the crown prince known as ‘Fazza’ with 17 million Instagram followers
Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, known as “Fazza”, is the Crown Prince of Dubai, chairman of the Dubai Executive Council and the UAE’s Minister of Defence. A graduate of Sandhurst who also completed specialised courses at the London School of Economics, he commands an Instagram following of more than 17 million by mixing extreme sports and fitness challenges with Bedouin heritage, from falconry to Nabati poetry. That polished yet approachable image has made him a powerful ambassador for Dubai as a global hub for business and tourism.
Crown Prince Hussein of Jordan: the diplomat-heir who chaired the UN Security Council at 20
Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah II is the eldest son of King Abdullah II and traces his lineage to the Prophet Muhammad. A Georgetown University graduate in international history and a Sandhurst-trained officer, he became the youngest person to chair a United Nations Security Council session in 2015. He has since championed youth leadership and entrepreneurship through the Crown Prince Foundation, and his 2023 marriage to Princess Rajwa and the birth of their daughter, Princess Iman, in August 2024 drew warm global attention from royal watchers.
Tunku Ismail Idris of Johor: the football club owner and regent who connects with young Malaysians
Tunku Ismail Idris, widely known as TMJ, is heir to the Johor throne and has served as Regent since early 2024, when his father, Sultan Ibrahim, became Malaysia’s 17th Yang di-Pertuan Agong. He is also the owner of Johor Darul Ta’zim FC, which he has turned into a dominant force in Southeast Asian football. TMJ’s candid, direct social media presence has made him one of the few royals who speaks straight to younger Malaysians.
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After more than a decade in lifestyle media, Clifford has mastered the art of writing seriously about things that are fun—and writing fun things about people who take themselves very seriously. At Tatler Asia, he helped steer its flagship lists, Tatler’s Most Influential and Asia’s Most Stylish. And today, he leads T-Labs, Tatler Asia’s content innovation hub, where he continues the noble pursuit of lifestyle storytelling, spinning stories on wealth, entertainment, necessary style, Hallyu, Hollywood, beauty and more for audiences across Asia.
