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Young Royals (2021)

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  • Actor Shipping: Several fans online have started shipping the two lead actors, Edvin Ryding and Omar Rudberg (who play Official Couple Wilhelm and Simon) together, due to their chemistry both on-screen and during interviews promoting the series. Also adding to the shipping is when Ryding admitted to being a fan of Rudberg since childhood during an interview with Jimmy Fallon in 2022, and when Ryding surprised Rudberg during his London concert in February 2025 (specifically, during Rudberg's performance of Simon's song, when Ryding had hugged Rudberg from behind and sang the song with him). There are also many compilation videos of cute moments dedicated to the two, and their friendship has remained strong even after the series ended.
  • Alternative Character Interpretation: Was Erik's death really just a tragic car accident? Or is it possible that he intentionally crashed the car to end his own life? Even though Erik was seemingly able to switch between being the Crown Prince and being himself, it's possible that he may have been dealing with his own mental stresses. It's also worth noting that in his last video call with Wilhelm on the day before the accident, Erik is seen drinking hard liquor at lunch time, which seems to suggest some unhealthy coping mechanisms. In addition, Erik died in a single car accident, and those are statistically far more likely to be suicides than multi-vehicle accidents. Ivar Forsling, Erik's actor, even hypothesized that Erik's death may have been suicide and not just a random accident in an interview with the Permanent Rain Press.
  • Awesome Music:
  • Big-Lipped Alligator Moment: Wilhelm's harrowing initiation ceremony in the first episode. For such a horrifying experience, it is barely even mentioned afterwards and Wilhelm doesn’t even seen to be the slightest traumatized from it.
  • Ensemble Dark Horse:
    • Due to their unique and remarkable physical appearances, Wilhelm and Felice's group of friends have gained their own fan base and several of them were even Ascended Extras during Season 2. Madison McCoy is the most popular among them, since she's generally friendly and not as classist or snobby as some of the other Hillerska kids.
    • Rosh and Ayub, Simon's friends in Bjärstad, are also well-liked among the fans for their genuine friendship with Simon and for how they welcome Wilhelm as a friend in Season 1.
    • Erik is also surprisingly popular among the fans, despite only appearing in the first three episodes of Season 1. Prior to Season 3, several fanfics often portrayed Erik as a supportive older brother to Wilhelm, and the "Erik Lives" tag is very commonly used on AO3.
    • Malin, Wilhelm's female bodyguard, is also very popular among the fanbase. The fact that she and Wille are on familiar terms with each other helps make her more likeable to fans.
  • Friendly Fandoms:
    • There appears to be significant overlap with the Heartstopper fanbase, which makes sense given both series' exploration of queer teen romance. Helped by the fact that the lead actors of each series also appear to be fans of the other.
    • There's also some overlap with the fanbase of Red, White & Royal Blue, due to the similar premise of both works: a young European prince (Wilhelm/Henry) falling in love with a queer Latino boy (Simon/Alex). The only difference is that Alex is the son of the President of the United States, while Simon is an ordinary working-class boy.
  • Funny Moments:
    • Season 3:
      • When the inspectors come to Hillerska for the school inspection, all the students are trying to be on their best behavior. As for Simon and Wilhelm? Neither of them even try. They just sneak off to the music room to make out on the piano, and they only barely manage to avoid getting caught by the principal and the inspectors.
  • Germans Love David Hasselhoff: The series attracted a significant Swedish viewership, due to being filmed there.
  • Jerkass Woobie: August. For all his faults, especially his crime of essentially uploading child pornography of Wilhelm and Simon, he's a deeply broken young man. His father committed suicide, and his mother basically sent him to Hillerska when he was still grieving, which left him with no actual support to deal with his grief and pain. He's also dealing with a drug addiction and an eating disorder on top of it, and he's got deep-rooted trauma from his own initiation ceremony. And unlike Wilhelm, who manages to make meaningful friendships at Hillerska, August has no true friendships with his classmates and peers. He may be a jerkass, but it's hard not to have sympathy for August's situation.
  • Nausea Fuel: During Wilhelm's initiation ceremony, he's forced to ingest saliva by August and the other seniors.
  • Nightmare Fuel:
    • Wilhelm endures a pretty horrific initiation ceremony in the first episode. He's bound and gagged by August and the other seniors, who are all wearing creepy masks, then dragged out of his dorm room in the middle of the night, tied to a statue and sprayed with water guns, and forced to crawl on all fours around the courtyard while one of the seniors rides his back. Among the humiliation he endures, he's also forced to ingest saliva by the seniors. The whole scene has been filmed in an incredibly surreal manner, which only adds to the nightmarish atmosphere.
    • August tells Wilhelm about his own initiation ceremony during his first year at Hillerska. The senior students forced August and his classmates to strip down to their underwear, then they were forced to watch a gay porn film. Anyone who was caught with an erection would be subsequently beaten by the senior students.
  • Portmanteau Couple Name: Wilhelm and Simon are known as "Wilmon" among the fans.
  • The Scrappy: Sara quickly became one of the most divisive characters in Young Royals, especially in season 2. Though she started off as a shy, awkward outsider, her choices—particularly siding with August and betraying Wilhelm and Simon—turned many fans against her. Her romance with August, despite his actions, made her seem selfish and disloyal. While the show hints at her insecurities and desire for acceptance, many viewers found her too frustrating to sympathize with, making her a classic case.
  • Unintentionally Unsympathetic: Sara’s decisions in season 2, especially her willingness to protect August despite knowing he leaked Wilhelm’s video, make her appear cold and selfish. Though her actions stem from a desire for love and acceptance, viewers often struggle to sympathize with her due to the emotional damage her choices cause Wilhelm and others.
  • Values Dissonance: Some non-Swedish viewers found it surprising that Wilhelm attended public school prior to Hillerska. For Swedish audiences, this isn't too much of a shock, since Crown Princess Victoria and Princess Madeleine, the daughters of the current King Carl XVI Gustaf, both notably attended public schoolnote . This isn't limited to the Swedish royal family either, as Crown Prince Christian of Denmark also studied at a public school in Ordrup.
  • The Woobie: Wilhelm embodies this trope through his constant emotional turmoil. He grapples with grief over his brother’s death, the suffocating expectations of royalty, and his secret relationship with Simon. His longing to live freely while being trapped in a public role makes him sympathetic and heartbreaking to watch.
    • Simon fits the mold with his quiet strength and emotional vulnerability. He deals with classism, a complicated home life, and being hurt by Wilhelm’s fear of coming out. Despite everything, Simon remains honest and brave in his feelings, which makes his pain all the more poignant.

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