Following the sudden death of king Boudewijn of Belgium, his brother Albert feels obliged to take up his rights as crown prince. His son, Filip, is not pleased with this decision. Albert quickly realizes how difficult it is to fill the space left by Boudewijn.

Shortly after being sworn in as the new king, it becomes clear that Albert is quite inexperienced. King Albert II is regarded as a temporary figure. Then the country is shaken by the disappearance and murder of several young girls. Albert arises as a capable and powerful man, one that cannot be neglected by the government.

By the end of the 90s, Albert is getting more proficient at the game that is politics. The change of power from Dehaene to Verhofstadt runs smoothly. The book of a young journalist about the existence of a bastard daughter changes all that. His sons Filip and Laurent don't make the situation any easier. The king is tired and during one of the hardest moments of his life, his heart gives up.

Albert II is recovering from a major heart surgery. Meanwhile Filip is getting on the nerves of some politicians because of some strong remarks regarding the Flemish separatist party "Vlaams Belang". Laurent turns out to have used money from the Belgian navy to renovate his own villa. Queen Fabiola tries to fix things to prevent the Royal Family from falling apart.

After the 2007 elections, Albert II has a difficult task ahead of him. The political differences in the two parts of the country will eventually lead to the longest government forming ever. Private life isn't going much better either. Laurent travels to Congo, making a mess of things yet again, and Filip demands a bigger role in the government negotiations. Albert II is tired and thinks of abdicating, but Filip still hasn't managed to convince the public of his capabilities...