Producer
Leopold Hoesch
Director
Julia Melchior
Producer
n/a
Genre
Dynasties
Broadcaster
ZDF / phoenix
Length
1 x 45'
Editor
Lars Roland
Year
2018
ZDF History
Spaniens Krone

It used to be the most powerful royal house in the world. Today it is the most modern. Former King Juan Carlos once helped Spain's crown gain new legitimacy - as a guarantor of democracy, unity and peace. Today, King Felipe must show whether he can live up to the responsibility of his office and reconcile the country in the most serious crisis in the 40-year history of democracy. At the start of the big anniversary year 2018 and in the midst of the Catalonia conflict, the film takes a close-up look at father and son and looks back at the history of Spain's monarchy.

Terrorism, nationalism, scandals. Time and again, Spain's crown is put to the test. And yet crises have made it strong. In 2018, Spain celebrates forty years of liberal democracy under the Bourbon crown, the 80th birthday of former King Juan Carlos and the 50th birthday of King Felipe. The documentary recalls the transition when Juan Carlos led the country out of dictatorship into democracy at the end of the 1970s and knew how to defend it, and portrays the royal family under Felipe today, who faces great challenges in times of Islamist terror and Catalan separatism. Following on from current events, the film looks back into the history of the monarchy and explores the historical context. What do the Catholic Monarchs and the "Reconquista", the reconquest of the Muslim-ruled part of the Iberian Peninsula in the 15th century, have to do with the ideology of the IS? To what extent have the "War of the Spanish Succession" and the takeover by the French Bourbons in the 18th century traumatised Catalans to this day? Why is the celebrated constitution for which King Juan Carlos paved the way in the late 1970s now under scrutiny?

After years of preparation, the royal family has granted the BROADVIEW TV team exclusive access for an extraordinarily personal picture of the family, a unique look behind the scenes, an exciting analysis of current events and a visually stunning foray into the fascinating history of Spain's crown.

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