Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, younger son of King Charles III and Diana, Princess of Wales. In this film, British author and director Claire Walding sheds light on the life of her fellow countryman and his role as the “spare”. Spanning the years from Harry’s difficult childhood through his rebellious youth and successful military career up to his relationship with Meghan Markle and his split from the royal family, she presents key moments and developments from his perspective: A living portrait of an “angry young man” in royal garb, who is both complex and naive but also lovable and endearing.

From early on, he was taught to cooperate with the British press just like the rest of the royal family – you need each other. But Harry changes the rules of the game. His childhood was defined by his parents’ divorce and overshadowed by the tragic death of his mother, Diana, when Harry was just 12 years old. In his youth, scandalous photographs of the prince were splashed across the front pages of the British tabloids. But when Harry married American actress Meghan Markle in 2018, the pair were toasted as the great hope of a modern royal house – until this promising start ended with the thunderbolt announcement in early 2020 that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex would be stepping back from their royal duties. The announcement shocked both the royal family and Great Britain alike. Their decision would prove to be a PR disaster for the monarchy. In interviews, a streaming series and Harry’s biography, the couple called the royal family to account. But why did Harry make such a drastic move?

With photos and footage that record the most important moments in the life of the prince, as well as interviews with royal experts, Tessa Dunlop and Leontine von Schmettow, historian Ed Owens and ARD’s London correspondent, Annette Dittert, this film explores Harry’s coming-of-age story and dives deep into the complex figure that is the second-born prince: Who is Prince Henry Charles Albert David Windsor, Duke of Sussex? Who is this man turning his back on the most famous family in the world? Harry, the untamed rebel, is perhaps more responsible for the overdue change in the British monarchy with his behaviour than his father, the King, or his brother, the heir to the throne.