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The Dukes Who Own The United Kingdom (Documentary):
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TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 Introduction
0:46 Anne, Princess Royal
14:35 Princess Margaret of the United Kingdom
34:14 Princess Martha Louise of Norway
54:40 Princess Mako of Japan
1:13:31 Princess Ubolratana of Thailand
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Behind the glittering tiaras and ceremonial duties lies a more complex truth: royal princesses often navigate impossible tensions between personal desires and dynastic expectations.
While fairy tales end with happily ever after, real princesses face lifelong scrutiny where each decision becomes fodder for public judgment and historical record.
Anne, Princess Royal emerges as the stoic pragmatist – Queen Elizabeth II's only daughter who rejected royal extravagance for hard work and plain speaking.
Surviving a kidnapping attempt with the legendary response "Not bloody likely!" when ordered to exit her car, Anne cultivated a reputation for exceptional work ethic, averaging 500 engagements yearly while maintaining Olympic-level equestrian skills.
Her 1992 divorce from Captain Mark Phillips broke royal taboos, yet her subsequent marriage to Commander Timothy Laurence and no-nonsense approach to royal duties earned her respect that flashier royals never achieved.
Princess Margaret embodied the tragic paradox of royal privilege – born with every material advantage yet constrained by invisible chains of duty.
Her heartbreaking decision to abandon her relationship with divorcé Group Captain Peter Townsend following establishment pressure revealed the gilded cage surrounding even the Queen's sister.
Margaret's subsequent troubled marriage to photographer Antony Armstrong-Jones and her glamorous yet increasingly isolated life on Mustique created a cautionary tale of thwarted desires and unfulfilled potential.
Norway's Princess Märtha Louise represents royal reinvention in the spiritual realm, trading conventional duties for angel communication schools and shamanic partnerships.
Her controversial marriage to self-proclaimed shaman Durek Verrett forced Norway's monarchy to establish unprecedented boundaries between royal identity and commercial endeavors.
Her journey from equestrian champion to self-described clairvoyant demonstrates how modern royalty struggles to balance ancient institutions with individual authenticity.
Princess Mako of Japan made headlines worldwide when she relinquished her royal status to marry commoner Kei Komuro in 2021, declining the traditional $1.3 million payment given to departing royal women.
Her sacrifice under Japan's Imperial Household Law, which requires female royals to become commoners upon marrying non-royals, highlighted the gendered constraints within the world's oldest continuous monarchy.
The couple's subsequent relocation to New York represented a clean break from tradition in a culture where imperial conformity remains paramount.
Thailand's Princess Ubolratana shattered royal protocols in spectacular fashion when she announced her candidacy for Prime Minister in 2019.
Though her brother King Vajiralongkorn swiftly blocked her unprecedented political ambitions, her Instagram presence and previous career in Thai entertainment demonstrated her determination to forge connections beyond palace walls.
Her earlier marriage to American Peter Jensen, which cost her royal titles until their divorce, revealed her willingness to prioritize personal happiness over royal convention.
These five princesses – spanning continents, generations, and royal systems – illuminate the evolving challenges faced by women born into extraordinary privilege yet constrained by ancient expectations.
Their stories reveal that even in palaces, the most valuable possession remains the freedom to determine one's own destiny – a luxury sometimes more elusive than any crown jewel.