< b >Channel 5< /b > wraps its six-part series Secrets of the Royal Traditions with a closer look at the rules, rituals, and reversals around royal succession. The finale, titled “Heirs,” airs Saturday, May 31 at 7:00 PM and caps off a season that’s dissected everything from protocol quirks to palace PR strategy.
The episode takes a sharp look at how producing an heir has long been central to royal stability—and how the rules have shifted. Thanks to reforms backed by the late Queen Elizabeth II, male primogeniture is out, with Princess Charlotte now securing her place in the line of succession ahead of younger brother Prince Louis. That change, years in the making, underlines how even centuries-old customs can bend under modern scrutiny.
“Heirs” also scans the global stage for some of the odder diplomatic exchanges the Windsors have been part of—think cocktail bars, rare animals, and extravagant trinkets from foreign dignitaries. Unsurprisingly, the royals’ return gifts don’t always match in value, revealing a one-sided tradition that’s more about symbolism than substance.
Other threads in the finale include a contrast of holiday habits between Queen Elizabeth and her grandkids, plus a deep dive into how jubilees became high-stakes branding opportunities, capable of steadying the institution during rocky periods.
The irony isn’t lost on the episode’s framing: Britain’s most revered monarchs—Victoria, Elizabeth I, and Elizabeth II—ascended in spite of, or because of, succession rules originally designed to sideline women. It’s a legacy that continues to shape the monarchy’s next chapter.
