In Korean dramas, the Crown Prince carries the weight of the throne, while the Grand Prince enjoys the perks of royalty sans the weight. Both can get trapped in a power struggle.
In many historical Korean dramas, the Crown Prince and the Grand Prince both sit close to the throne, but their roles are very different. K-dramas love to play with this contrast: the Crown Prince burdened by duty, and the Grand Prince navigating ambition, loyalty, or the temptation to challenge the throne.
The Crown Prince is the officially designated heir, raised under intense scrutiny and political pressure as the kingdom’s future king. He can get “the boot” two ways. (1) He angers his father, the king, and gets replaced. (2) Ruthless nobles and court officials want somebody else to become king, so they start scheming and conniving to eliminate him. The crown prince could die before he ever gets to the throne. He could die as a child.
A Grand Prince, on the other hand, is a royal son who IS NOT first in line, and that can be a blessing or a curse. He often has more freedom than the Crown Prince and can enjoy life, usually by being a playboy and pretending he doesn't have a care in the world. He need not be ambitious for power or concern himself with the politics of the nation. However, in an instant, he can be put in danger, because one group of power-hungry people wants to force him onto the throne, while another group is opposed. Then the grand prince is faced with a moral conflict depending on the storyline. After all, he should love his country and be willing to sacrifice his freedom and frivolity for the sake of the people. Right? Question is: Will he be a good king OR a puppet king?
So which would you rather be?
TEAM Crown Prince is the main character, click here.
TEAM Grand Prince is the main character, click here.
- If I were a Crown Prince or Grand Prince, I’d be on the first boat to China. Palace intrigue? Conspiracies? Assassination attempts? Constant death threats? Poison? Walking on “nails” trying to dodge power-hungry, jealous relatives and maniacal court officials and nobles? Uuuhh … No thank you.
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