The Prince of princes (Daniel 8:25) is our Lord Jesus Christ in prophecy. The expression refers to the one who is ruler over rulers, the highest one above all rulers. Jesus said after his glorious resurrection, "All power is given unto me in heaven and on earth" (Matthew 28:18). He is the "God of gods" (Daniel 11:36). Jesus is the "King of kings" (Revelation 19:16). These titles make it clear. Jesus is Lord over all.
Daniel (8:17, 23) speaks of the "time of the end." Jeremiah the prophet called it the "time of Jacob's trouble" (Jeremiah 30:7). It is a time when God's wrath will be poured out on planet earth (Revelation 16:1). It is the final period of history we know as the great tribulation (Matthew 24:15-22).
The background for Daniel 8:23-26 is the end times, when Antichrist will oppose God and God's people. The "king of fierce countenance" is the Antichrist. He will be an evil character like unto Antiochus Epiphanes in several ways. Compare Daniel 8:23-26 with Daniel 8:9-14. Both blaspheme God and persecute the Jewish people. Both claim to be gods who deceive the people.
All of the above sets the stage for the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Prince of princes, Lord over all, will defeat all his enemies with the sword of his word (Revelation 19:21). That's when Jesus our Lord defeats Antichrist. The beast and his false prophet are "cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone" (Revelation 19:20).
