heir to the throne
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heir to the throne
The person who is next to inherit a monarch's position after the monarch's death or abdication. Usually, this is the ruler's eldest child.
Der Prinz wird als offizieller Thronfolger auf seine zukünftigen Aufgaben vorbereitet.
The prince is being prepared for his future duties as the official heir to the throne.
successor
In a figurative sense, the person intended as the successor to an important leadership position in a company, party, or organization.
Der langjährige Firmenchef hat seine Tochter als Thronfolgerin für die Unternehmensleitung aufgebaut.
The long-time company boss has groomed his daughter as the successor for the company's leadership.
The word is made up of 'Thron' (throne) and 'Folger' (follower/successor). A 'Folger' is someone who follows after someone else, from the verb 'folgen' (to follow). A 'Thronfolger' is therefore literally the person who follows on the throne.
Als Thronfolger musste der junge Prinz viele Sprachen lernen.
As heir to the throne, the young prince had to learn many languages.
You can tell from context whether the literal or figurative meaning is intended. Words like 'Königreich' (kingdom) or 'Prinz' (prince) point to a monarchy. Words like 'Firma' (company), 'Partei' (party), or 'Chef' (boss) point to succession in an organization.
Der älteste Sohn des Königs ist der Thronfolger.
The king's eldest son is the heir to the throne.
In the figurative sense, 'Thronfolger' (successor) is often used ironically or metaphorically for the designated successor in a powerful position in business or politics.
In den Medien wird bereits über den möglichen Thronfolger des alternden Firmengründers spekuliert.
The media are already speculating about the possible successor to the aging company founder.
successor
Nachfolger can generally refer to a person in a line of succession and emphasizes that they follow the previous person. Thronfolger is more specific: the word refers to the person who is next in line to inherit the throne. In a monarchical context, both terms can refer to the same person.
Vor der Abdankung galt die Tochter als Thronfolgerin des Königs.
Before the abdication, the daughter was considered the heir to the king's throne.
Nach der Abdankung wurde die Tochter zur Nachfolgerin des Königs.
After the abdication, the daughter became the king's successor.
