SERIES 1 EPISODE 1 | LOVE & DUTY

Harry and Meghan are the latest royal love story. Theirs is the new fairy-tale romance that has fascinated the world, but after the excitement of the wedding the reality of the job kicks in. Will the couple be able to balance the pressures of love versus duty? For them only time will tell, but history has shown that royal marriage is a hard road to walk.Edward VIII nearly brought down the House of Windsor when he chose love over duty. Giving up his throne for the woman he loved - divorcee Wallis Simpson. Edward’s decision would cast a long shadow over the Windsors for decades to come.Because of Edward’s actions, when a young Elizabeth married her dashing naval officer, Philip, they knew the pressure was on them to re-build the image of the royal family. Theirs has been a stable royal marriage unlike any other. They have made it through ups and downs and today the Queen calls him her ‘strength and stay’.But the Queen’s steadfast marriage has proved an exception rather than the rule. Three of her four children’s marriages have broken down and ended in divorce. Charles’ being the most public and destructive, as his fairy-tale marriage to Diana quickly turned into a nightmare. The Queen’s sister, Margaret, also had to make a stark choice when she fell in love with divorcee Peter Townsend. Would she too choose love over duty or would she follow her sister’s advice and put the Crown first?The British monarchy has learnt through bitter experience that the secret to a successful royal marriage comes when love is perfectly balanced with duty.