#also wilhelm abdicated!?!?

[lettuceish]

i can die happy now

[mysteriousboo]

i'm not gonna lie i am happy we got a trailer, but im so anxious!! maybe it's just seeing so much fandom discourse, but after i finished watching the last episode of s2, i wasn't even thinking that they couldn't be endgame! cause like they've been through so much, there's no way that they won't end up together! but we all forget that they are just 16 year olds!! they deserve to live and enjoy life!! if them being together is not working out, then we just have to go with it! cause they are 16! they don't need to make a decision like whether they have to be together for the rest of their lives, lol!!

[echoesofadream]

shfhjs de bråkar hela tiden

[dmajor7th]

Renouncing the throne would not set Wilhelm free

A question asked of those in the Young Royals fandom: Are you Team Monarchy or Team Abdication?

For those who wish to see Wilhelm fulfil his birthright, the desire comes from him being able to find peace with himself and thus the role, and setting an example by living as the first openly queer monarch in Swedish Royal history. That it denies August the position also helps this argument.

For those who wish to see Wilhelm renounce the thrown, the desire comes from wishing him to be free from the shackles of unasked for expectations, and emancipated from the pressure that crushes down on his wellbeing, his romantic relationship, and his ability to live a "normal" teen and adult life.

But here's the thing: Wilhelm is marked for life. Refusing to become King, and removing himself from all royal duties and the Crown itself, will not lead him to become a "normal" person.

There is a real world, contemporary example of a prince forsaking his duties and being no freer from the media circus that haunts him—Prince Harry of the British Royal Family. The details of his conflict and departure from his royal duties are widely publicised, no less than in his own autobiography. To be sure, the pressures and scrutiny he has faced growing up are horrific—least of all the media treatment of his mother's death—and the racialised aggression towards his wife is beyond disgusting. It makes total sense that he would want to remove himself and his own family from the shit show that is being a royal in the Internet Age.

But rather than give him and his family the peaceful life he seems to crave, the media fire has only intensified. How much of this is driven my him I can't say; but the point is, making an effort to step away form his expectations has not freed him.

And so, to Wilhelm. He can chose to renounce the thrown, and he can choose not to become King, but he will always, always, be Prince Wilhelm. Unless he were to completely cut himself off from society, run away into a forest and never be seen again, he will forever be marked as a Prince.

Wille has also stated that he actually likes the monarchy. Who would he even be outside of it? He can't just get a job in a bakery or be a bus driver. What would he do? How would he live?

What I want is for Wilhelm to be able to find peace with himself and his place in the world, and based on what we've seen in season 3, I don't think it's more likely that will come to him outside of the monarchy than within it. He is a young, troubled man who needs considerable help and support, and I don't think leaving the framework he's accustomed to—with all of the resources it provides—to walk into an even greater media fire will help him.

I want Wille to be happy and I want him to be free. But moving away from his family and birthright is not, for me, the answer.

[randonwilmonfan]

I'd love to talk more about the locker room scene in S2 E2 of Young Royals, where Wilhelm tries to convince Simon to get back together with him, in the process (sadly) demonstrating that he believes his mother's feeble offer to "talk" about him possibly coming out when he's 18. This takes place after his almost-removal from Hillerska.

Plenty of people have already pointed out how Henry snitched on Wille and Felice’s kiss, but apparently didn’t choose to tell anyone (as far as we’re aware) about Wilhelm almost pleading with Simon to get back together with him during that post-almost-dragged-out-of-Hillerska conversation. And that's definitely an interesting thing to chew on. But there's more...

Here are a few other things that stand out to me too:

First -

I think it’s worth pointing out the obvious — Wilhelm clearly sees Simon in his future long-term (possibly for the rest of his life). The way he casually says to Simon “So, we’d only have to keep it a secret for 2 years” implies three things very clearly.

a) He immediately and easily sees himself together with Simon in 2 years and beyond. Actually, specifically, definitely beyond. Because his eye is on the prize: coming out and living openly with Simon *after* he turns 18 — implying his focus is entirely on the intended afterwards period. He doesn’t even blink at that idea; it’s obvious to him.

b) He also really doesn’t seem to think 2 years is a big deal. For a teenager who’s only lived 16 years on this planet (only approximately ~11-ish of them in a state where they’re forming conscious memories) to think 2 years is just a drop in the bucket is kind of wild. Even 6 months feels like forever to a kid. So Wilhelm — a child — viewing time from this perspective suggests he’s likely balancing 2 years out against a much longer expanse of time; hence why those 24 months would look so minuscule and shrug-worthy by comparison. In other words: he sees himself with Simon in the LONG long term. Two years is nothing if you’re imagining growing old with someone and spending the rest of your many decades on this Earth with them. (All of this is pretty much confirmed later on in S2, when Wilhelm offers to abdicate the throne for Simon.)

c) He also doesn’t seem to think Simon should be appalled by the idea of waiting for 2 years. Yes, sure, we can chalk part of that up to selfishness and lack of mentalization / empathy for Simon’s point of view. But I’m going to suggest it’s more than that. My takeaway is that he assumes Simon also sees them as endgame, and so naturally wouldn’t be bothered by waiting a bit longer in order to spend forever together. (Sadly the conversation does not play out that way for him; ouch. Though no shade to Simon: what he said in response was realistic and fair.)

Second -

I think we have to rewatch his interactions with Simon as Henry slams a door and slowly walks past them with a raised eyebrow. Because, in S1, that Wilhelm would have immediately jumped away from Simon to create distance and try to pretend there’s plausible deniability about what their relationship has been and could be again. That’s (one) part of the whole point of S1: Wilhelm is not ready to be brave enough to face a homophobic aristocratic world and take a bold stance to stand by Simon.

Instead, in S2 E2, he sits still. He stays right next to Simon. In fact, he *leaves his hand resting directly on Simon’s thigh.* And he knows someone is coming their way! He heard the door slam inside the locker room. Obviously he knows someone else is here. But he doesn’t jump. He actually doesn’t really stir much at all.

He sits there like it’s of no importance, and he doesn’t care who sees. Or, even, who overheard this very intimate, vulnerable, and pleading conversation. A conversation in which the future King of their country is almost on the verge of begging his ex to please be his again… not just for now, but for multiple years’ time. I mean we’re like 2 steps away from Wille practically offering Simon a “promise ring” (not sure if that concept holds up in Europe, but it’s basically a very pre-engagement type thing in the US; it’s not common though). (Their convo also makes it very clear Simon was the one who dumped him and that he’s having trouble accepting that and moving on.)

Yet he doesn’t seem perturbed or disturbed by Henry’s presence and overhearing and seeing them. He doesn’t seem embarrassed at all. He’s not ashamed of his love for Simon. Even more specifically, he’s not afraid of people (Henry) seeing him put his heart out on the line, and of them knowing that he wants Simon back - not for just a hook-up, but for a very long-term, serious, committed relationship. And he doesn’t make any moves to emotionally or physically distance himself from Simon, despite Henry’s clear witnessing of this private moment.

This is a subtle way to show that, even though Wille hasn't yet gone through his full S2 journey of self-awareness and self-growth, he has still already begun changing and growing after the end of S1. So he’s at least started to learn some of his lessons about what he needs to do differently.

Anyhoo, the whole point I’m trying to make is… gosh there were so many fascinating things happening in that scene. And they rush right past us in the blink of an eye! But there is so much meaning built into every small interaction and non-interaction there, and into every nonchalant assumption the characters casually voice.

I’m sure there’s more meaning and are more details I missed, too! What did you think? I’d love to learn more from others’ perspectives, too. :)

[tanadrin]

Duncan does a quick compare-and-contrast episode on the German Revolution, and points out that:

Kaiser Wilhelm bowed to pressure to switch out his government much faster than Tsar Nicholas

The SPD was immediately hostile to the spreading workers' and soldiers' councils in Germany--Friedrich Ebert, despite heading the SPD, is really hostile to the idea of a social revolution like occurred in Russia, and thinks the SPD can win socialist goals in a parliamentary system because of its electoral strength. (This is not absurd on its face--Russia at this point is in civil war and there are competing Red and White Terrors; the SPD is electorally strong, though the weakness of the parliamentary system Germany will get will prove to be a huge problem)

Prince Max shoves the Kaiser out the door by announcing his abdication, even before the Kaiser actually does abdicate, then immediately resigns in favor of Friedrich Ebert, the head of the SPD. In general one gets the sense that the SPD is not getting caught flat-footed by events like everybody was in the Russian revolution, but accurately anticipating or even forcing them to ensure a smooth transition of power.

In Germany the provisional government is all socialists instead of all liberals, the equivalent of the Right SRs in Russia

When a call goes out for a worker's assembly in Berlin to run the new government, and Ebert can't stop it, he leans into it and gets as many of his guys into it as possible--once again showing the Wisdom of Showing Up to Meetings. The SPD and the anti-war USPD splinter faction manage to coopt this assembly.

The radical left is explicitly trying to create a revolutionary body to overawe the provisional government a la the Petrograd Soviet, but instead of it being SRs and Mensheviks in the Soviet versus liberal Kadets in the government, the SPD/USPD is controlling the whole show. No dual power dynamic emerges.

Ebert also quickly moves to get the German military onside: in exchange for their support against attempts to implement a soviet-style system in Germany, he promises not to fuck with their autonomy.

The war ends like two days after the November Revolution starts--I think Baden is appointed head of the government on the 9th, and the armistics occurs on the 11th. There's no question of continuing the fighting--indeed, one aim the military is trying to secure is getting the civilian government to end the war, so they aren't blamed for it (despite their situation being unwinnable).

Circumstances helped a lot--and the SPD and Ebert in particular are much better at navigating the situation than anybody between February and October 1917 in Russia. It helps that the SPD is a big-tent party with a ton of support, in a more developed multiparty political system. These are the same properties that made then feckless when opposing the war, but left them in a position to take up the reins of government in 1918.

Ebert's government is good at quickly announcing a slate of popular social and political reforms, delivering on their socialist credentials; it helps that the workers' and soldiers' councils that do form are more ideologically in line with the SPD than they are with the Bolsheviks, and support the government's call for a national assembly slash constitutional convention. Unlike in Russia, this assembly is not delayed by war or anything else.

When the USDP and Spartacists/KPD break decisively with the SPD, they are kind of muddled in their aims and divided between each other, and the Spartacist Uprising breaks out basically by accident, but fails to attract much mass support. Ebert is able to use the Freikorps to suppress the uprising. More July Days than October Revolution--and Liebknecht and Luxemburg are captured by the Freikorps and murdered, which means there's no regrouping and reconsolidation for an equivalent later push.

As with the Russian Revolution, very small differences in both individual actions and general circumstances might have produced wildly different results--anything from right-wing military dictatorship to full-blown communist revolution. Still, it's hard to see the Weimar Republic as the optimal outcome, given how that's going to turn out.

[mymitochondriaforpresident]

I don’t want him to renounce either.

Abdication (and I guess renouncing) implies that the monarchy will keep on going even after he steps down. Is that really the most powerful thing he can do? Allow a corrupt system to continue on? I don’t think so.

I want him to ascend the throne and then destroy the monarchy from the inside out.

I don't mean which you'd like to see actually happen in S3, as I realize it's unlikely any of these will occur within the scope of the show. Rather, which outcome would you prefer the YR universe to move toward?

[retrieve-the-kraken]

Okay, so I’ve finished my taxes, and I’m basically out of the woods with some overwhelming work stuff, and everything turned out well with a medical situation with my mum, but I am still very tired, but I also cannot keep going without putting my preliminary thoughts on my very first viewing of season 3 down on a post…

It seems my worst characterization so far is assuming that these two idiots would learn to communicate. They haven’t, they’re stupid teenagers, they’re really bad at it, they get mad at each other for everything, and they don’t listen. And that needs to change soon if we want Wilmon endgame.

Boris, do you do couples therapy? PLEASE HELP THEM.

I think a big reason Wilhelm lashes out, besides getting caught up in his own head, is the fact that he’s also constantly afraid of saying the wrong thing and pissing Simon off. But the stakes for Simon are clearly higher. Wilhelm really needs to learn to communicate, but he’s dragging a whole life of terrible communication and zero support, so HOW is he supposed to learn, if he naturally feels afraid to open up?

It shows in the way he reacts to learning about Erik. Simon might be right, and Erik maybe just gave in to peer pressure, like everyone else in that school (which we see over and over again, like with the strike, and that guy who just repeats ‘yeah hilarious’ when Vincent tells him, and the graduation rituals and basically everything that everyone does at that fucking school), and maybe he wasn’t particularly homophobic. Or maybe he was, but if he had found out about Wilhelm maybe he would have changed his views (after all he was a stupid kid too)… But how would Wilhelm know? Erik is dead, there’s no way of asking him, confronting him about it. And people still call him perfect, and still compare him to his brother.

It must be so traumatizing to have held this person in your head as the one you trusted for everything, the one who would support you most, the one who probably knew you better than anyone else, who would love you and be there for you no matter what, and it turns out that he might not have accepted you at all. And just like that Wille is all alone and angry and afraid again.

(This is why it’s extra cruel that August posted that fucking video, especially how premeditated it was to share it over the whole world, but also then tell Wilhelm that his brother was possibly a homophobe. It doesn’t matter that he went through that horrible hazing, it doesn’t matter that he put a stop to it, and it doesn’t matter that he’s a stupid kid too, the fact that he did THAT to someone, anyone, is awful and he should have known better.)

So that scene in season 1 when Erik teases Wilhelm about his crush potentially changes completely. Maybe he didn’t suspect anything, maybe it was just a coincidence that he never used any pronouns…

And that makes it even more traumatizing that his parents still think of Erik as the figure of perfection, and Wilhelm, who is queer and scandalous and rebellious, is the real thorn on their side. Fucking Ludvig saying that Erik really was perfect, that he didn’t have “that darkness inside of him”, to his surviving son… But for all we know maybe Erik’s death was not accidental, maybe he did have “a darkness” inside of him.

On the other hand, that “darkness” doesn’t excuse Kristina at all. I am convinced that this depression/burnout that she’s going through is absolute bullshit. Sure, she might be depressed, she’s still grieving her “perfect” heir, and she’s going through a lot. But it’s like Wilhelm says, how convenient that she shuts down and breaks down now. She wasn’t like this when the video happened, because she could still cover it up. And she wasn’t like this when Wilhelm called her to scream that he was going to abdicate, because she could still drag him out of Hillerska. It was only when he told the whole world, and there was no covering it up anymore, that she suddenly became fragile with grief.

And even if it were true, even if she’s going through a severe depression or burnout, as a result of everything that’s happened, that doesn’t excuse her previous lies and manipulations. And it makes the fact that she still really wants Wille to become her successor, despite knowing what it could do to him, despite knowing that he’s already extremely anxious and that he does not know how to manage his own emotions, is evil.

(And even if she wants August to be the backup too, knowing how he is, knowing his own family history, and how it could affect him too, is evil too.) MORE on this later.

Kristina uses her breakdowns to emotionally manipulate Wille into trying to do his best to be the perfect crown prince, now indirectly through Farima and Ludvig. And Wille’s so concerned with her and her fragility that it affects his relationship with Simon. Because he’s anxious about the possible imminence of having to take over, of being the new monarch, when he can barely control his own feelings, when he just wants to enjoy his first relationship and just be in love.

Of course he made things worse for himself and Simon when he publicly revealed their relationship, but we can understand where that’s coming from. He didn’t want to hide anymore, he didn’t want to not be able to be himself anymore, not be able to be with the boy he loves. But they’re still forced to hide, because people start hating on Simon, because people won’t stop talking about them (as much as I HATED Wille shushing Simon, I also understood that he didn’t want anyone to hear their argument, because he didn’t want to give people more reason to talk about them, but also there’s probably a lot of ‘keeping up appearances’ embedded in his mind), because they are very different and almost incompatible for many reasons, and because being the crown prince means conforming to a lot of things (no tattoos, no cutting your hair shorter than, no nail polish, no expressing political opinions, etc etc), and so he has to remove the nail polish and he doesn’t want his foundation to be geared toward LGBTQIA+ people or mental health issues… He can’t express himself, he can’t be himself, because what he is or who he is for real is not compatible with his role or what is expected of him… he’s so repressed still.

(The whole nail polish scene, and the scene where Simon suggests that Wille’s foundation could be geared toward LGBTQIA+ youth, reminded me a little of Isak in SKAM saying that he wasn’t just going to start marching in the Pride parade or wearing makeup. Wille is not necessarily about identity expression, or at least he doesn’t think that he should be. He just wants to be himself, and be with the boy he loves, and that’s it).

As for Simon, he can do no wrong, and I absolutely agree with everything he says and does, but he has always been very idealistic, and he does come across as a little more naïve than I expected, especially with the whole social media comments and his song. It wasn’t the first time he experienced it, because things went south for him when he appeared on the video, so for him now to think that people are magically not going to be cruel.

But I understand how much he’s sacrificing for Wille, and Wille not appreciating it at all must sting. Just like he points out that he didn’t have contact with Micke for years, for Sara’s sake, and suddenly she’s living with him… that fucking hurt. Simon has always been very opinionated and outspoken, and he’s very authentically and proudly himself, but he’s also always molded himself to what other people need, like being a parented child and taking on too much in the house to relieve Linda, and taking care of Sara, and worrying about his father, and letting himself be manipulated by Marcus, and now basically giving up a lot of himself to be with Wille. And as a result Linda treats him like he’s a drug addict, and Sara goes to the father she didn’t want to have contact with, and Marcus talks shit about him to the press, and Wille doesn’t listen to him…

Sara saw the light (sort of), so maybe hopefully Wille will too. More on that later too.

Anyway, it would have been nice for someone from the royal court to sit Simon down and explain to him what being the boyfriend of a royal involves, so that Wille doesn’t have to figure out how to tell him all these difficult things himself. Wille is so used to some of these things, they seem so obvious to him, that he might not immediately think of how weird or outlandish it might seem to Simon. (THat scene with the cake, I mean… it was funny in a way, but I wonder how many terrifying thoughts crossed Simon’s mind, the obvious “wait what??? did I just eat poison???” but also “wait what??? someone’s trying to poison my boyfriend????” and “there are kids here, have they also accidentally been poisoned????”).

I really really hope that, since he’s being forced to go to Boris with August, that Wille will think about going with Simon, and trying to work things out. They need to be able to say all these things to each other, get on the same page.

More importantly, I need a callback to what Boris said to him in season 2, about the expectations of his family, about being able to make his own choices. Which Wille internalized beautifully with that speech to Simon outside his house.

Anyway, this is already very long. Moving on to more general thoughts:

- I did think that the fact that they sort of resolved the whole issue with the police report and the drugs felt a little anticlimactic. It was built up and built up and the whole season 2 finale was about that, and we had a cliffhanger and everything, and then… bye. I wonder if it will come back (more on that later).

- And for that matter, Alexander just became a background character. Did he even have any lines? I could barely spot him.

- August telling Wilhelm in front of everyone at the table that he’s sure Wille will fuck up on his own… rich.

- Also Stella and Rosh was sort of hinted at, it happened in a blink, and then Fredrika was… jealous? Confused? Homophobic? All of the above? But then… NOTHING. Stella was even missing in the last episode, because she was “sick”… (scheduling conflicts for Felicia? Actually sick?)

- I think it’s interesting that Sara preached and preached to Simon about giving people a second chance, including their dad, and then she… goes and does it? It wasn’t the first time she did, she was with August despite the awful thing he did. And then she goes and… gives August ANOTHER chance????

- Someone needs to tell Sara that she needs to stop getting wtih August, because every time they get together somehow, Wilmon go south… It seems these two couples cannot exist simultaneously…

- So I still have to rewatch, but… is August then in the middle of selling his father’s estate to pay Simon? Are any of his friends aware of this?

- I have a cultural question: what was the whole deal about travelling to the US? I mean, I thought they were asking if these kids have never travelled abroad, but they mentioned the US specifically, several times… Is that a thing in Sweden, traveling to the US? Not any other part of Europe? Not Asia? Just wondering. Made me curious.

- Still waiting for this season’s Elias song… just one episode left… If we don’t get one, or a callback to Revolution, I might claw my face off…

- Nils repeating that maybe Wille would have been better off with someone from the inner circle. Seriously, Nils, who do you mean? WHO? Who could you be referring to? Hmm?

- Something else about Nils… a part of me really wished that Wille would have asked Nils for confirmation on the Erik thing. Wille obviously doesn’t want to believe it at first, but then he does, and hearing it from August makes it even worse, so maybe hearing it from someone like Nils would be the final confirmation that he would need, that his brother was the worst. On the other hand, for him to ask Nils to confirm something like that, as a gay, and possibly hearing what happened to him as a result of it… that would have probably made it even worse.

- Really hate that Marcus was mentioned, that he came back to haunt Simon in a way, even if it was minimal. But props to Simon for not rising to the bait in that moment.

- Simon, my love, i understand that you’re upset and heartbroken, but… it would have been nice if you tried to get Wille to talk to you one last time, before breaking up with him on his birthday… especially seeing everything he’s going through. Not that your feelings are any less important than his, of course, but… are you trying to get him to jump out the window????

-Eternally saddened by the disappearance of the orange sweater. Eternally saddened by the fact that Wilhelm did not set foot in or around Simon’s house this season. Although who knows, still one episode left…

Things that I liked most:

- Seriously the chemistry between Edvin and Omar is OFF THE CHARTS. The intimacy coordinator this season was very good.

- Especially that sex scene. Not just because it makes me immensely happy when my favorite ship fucks, because holy shit that was hot, but also because there’s a whole theme around all the hate mail and messages and classism and homophobia and toxic masculinity that Simon is a target of, especially being Latino, whilst Wille, being white and privileged and high class and the heir to the throne, is probably seen as the “man” of the relationship (especially since in the video he’s also the one “in control” whilst Simon is the receiver), so it’s very VERY satisfying to see that they are both top and bottom at times, and they both equally enjoy it.

- Also the use of choir music during the sex scene, giving it a very holy feel, much like Elias’s Holy playing when they have sex again in season 2… seriously I NEED my Elias song this season or I WILL START A REVOLUTION.

- At first I was annoyed at the whole “school possibly closing” plotline, because I thought it was unneeded. Or that maybe it would play a bigger role in the whole video-drugs controversy. But the truth is that it was really good, how it highlighted these kids’ privilege and the absurdity of wanting to cover things up and uphold traditions, and it also worked wonderfully to highlight the divide between Simon and Wille. As Simon says to Wille, he only takes a stand when he has nothing to lose.

- Felice. Felice this whole season was magnificent. Her whole breakdown over the end of her friendship with Sara, showing how truly important it was to her. And Madison saying that sometimes breaking up with a friend is worse than getting dumped, and I AGREE SO MUCH. But then I also think she loses her sense of self, because despite being popular and beautiful, she still gets used and treated badly, by August (obviously), but also by Wille (the kiss), and worst of all by Sara (who in a way used her for her horse, but also for the clout). And in the meantime, she’s treated differently than the other students for being one of the few black girls, and she gets singled out for her hair… and yet, the school is using her to make themselves look good. And now she decides to give Sara a second chance, because she really missed her, because it really hurt to lose that friend, and Sara goes and… does that…

- One of my favorite things about Simon is how he is proof that just because you’re gay doesn’t mean that you have flawless fashion sense. And i can’t help but wonder how fashion and style icon/ELLE’s Best Dressed Man/OMR Beauty founder Omar feels about Simon’s fashion choices. Never change, Simon, never change.

- Vincent was every bit of the tremendous asshole that I hoped he’d be this season. Did not disappoint. I wanted to punch him in the face every time he opened his mouth. Marvellous.

- I’m happy that we got more Madison, but still not enough. Still, iconic. Forever one of my favorite characters.

- I don’t know what to say about Sara and Micke. Just maybe that, when he played that song in the car, even before they started singing, i just knew “oh fuck, it’s all going to shit soon…” I guess Sara felt lost enough that she was suddenly willing to give him a second chance. And the whole “is that going to happen to me?” bit really made me sad. That she understands that mental health and mental illness is unfortunately many times hereditary, and worries that she might become just like him… But despite not being entirely like him, with addiction problems and such, she was still unreliable like him, she did bad things to her family like he did… I was rooting for you, Micke, we were all rooting for you.

- I feel that August’s love for status and for the monarchy might be starting to fray at the edges. First with the fact that he was reminded of his own traumatizing initiation, and reminded of how the crown prince, his cousin and friend and idol, himself was part of that. Second with the fact that Simon points out that he might have an eating disorder, how he would probably not fare any better than the queen if he were in such a stressful position as crown prince or king, how difficult it is for him to handle stress and anxiety. And third with seeing how it affects Wille and Simon and realizing that something similar might still happen to him and Sara. And the fact that he reveals to Sara why he is the way he is, that he lets his guard down with her, might point to even more growth (even though I hate that Sara sort of gave him a “second chance” again). Also I feel the reality of how they, the Royal Court, would control his life is finally sinking in. Hopefully he will also soon realize that they also use him as a manipulation tool. So maybe he won’t let himself be manipulated by them much longer.

- I loved Wille’s ultimate outburst at his mother and father, i love that he told them everything they needed to hear, about their emotional abuse, their neglect. Unfortunately they still refused to acknowledge how terrible parents they have been, and walked off, instead of trying to resolve it. So Wille throwing around the gifts, as impulsive and tantrum-ish it might come across, makes perfect sense. He tries to talk and gets nothing in return. If he’s repressed it’s bad, but if he expresses himself then nothing happens either.

- And I love that Simon got to see what Wille is really dealing with. As privileged as he might be, he’s still lacking the most important things: unconditional support and love. No amount of money or status can make it better, and Wille is broken. The only thing is that, Simon saw how broken Wille was over the death of his brother, whom he loved very much, but I don’t think he quite grasps the gravity of Wille learning that maybe that beloved brother wouldn’t have been so cool with him, because he has never had to deal with a parent or sibling rejecting him for his sexuality. It’s something very different to be rejected by society at large than it is to be rejected by your own family, and not everyone has the emotional strength to deal with that. So for Wille’s parents to still like his potentially homophobic dead brother more than him, is heart-wrenching. But I don’t think Simon really gets that because he’s probably not surprised that Erik might have been like that, because in his eyes those privileged kids in that school (except obviously Wille, and Felice and Madison, who is asking about the non-binaries) are probably all massive homophobes.

- Despite this, I love that Simon sets boundaries nonetheless. I mean, it hurt like fucking hell for him to tell Wille, on his fucking birthday, that maybe they shouldn’t be together. But just because Wille is hurting doesn’t mean that Simon has not also been hurting too. And if they can’t comfort each other, and try to support each other when they both obviously most need it, then maybe they’re just not going to work. And it took a lot of guts for Simon to bring it up in that moment, in Wille’s bed, in the palace, where he’s basically trapped, with nowhere to go, no way to get away (I doubt he called Linda in the middle of the night to come pick him up more than two hours away in Stockholm).

My hopes for the final episode (I don’t think I have any predictions other than, open ending or not, Wilmon will be endgame and there will be a revolution, I just don’t know how):

- Wilmon talk. An actual, healthy, heartfelt talk. A reconciliation for the ages.

- That the fucking school will close and August won’t be able to graduate, and he’ll realize that maybe he shouldn’t have “lived for that school”, as Erik once put it.

- That Wille will realize that, if Erik was not the person he thought he was, then maybe he no longer has to live up to his legacy anymore. @foreverunraveling pointed out how, now that the big Erik revelation is confirmed, then maybe the queen’s trump card to manipulate Wille into being the ideal crown prince is gone. Wille doesn’t care about the monarchy really, but he did care about not disappointing his brother, the “perfect crown prince”, and now we know that he was far from perfect. Erik lived a double life, as Wille points out, there was “public Erik” or crown prince Erik, and there was “private Erik”, or the real Erik (or so Wille thought, now we know there was a “secret Erik” which was the real Erik) and Wille struggles so much with the idea of having to split himself in two, . Wille cannot live a double life, he withers away when he has to hide himself, and now he gets the opportunity to leave that stifling life behind, and blossom.

- That Simon will get a fucking break. I hate that his whole life was turned upside down from the moment the video was leaked, and it’s just never going to be the same, whether he stays with Wille or not, he’ll always be the boy from the crown prince sex tape, he’ll always be the crown prince’s ex, or the crown prince’s boyfriend. But I want some positive feedback for him, someone bigger than the woman and the little boy wanting a selfie. I want him to have his own fanclub or something. Maybe that’s too idealistic…? (I may be imagining something like that scene in Red White and Royal Blue, when they realize that there’s a whole crowd outside the palace all excited to the the Prince and his First son boyfriend… one can dream).

- I want whatever Felice said during the interview to be taken seriously, and for her to stop doubting herself.

- I want a genuine apology from August.

- Also one from Kristina.

- I get the feeling that the fact that August leaked the video might still come out publicly, what with the whole school issue. And in that case, I would like for it to be Simon might to do it, tossing the money from the settlement in his face. It looks like Simon still feels guilty about accepting it, especially when he chided Wille about his privilege and Wille (figuratively) threw the money back in his face. What if Simon does it literally?

- I really wanna know what’s going to happen between Felice and Sara now. The outlook is not good.

- Is it too much to ask to know what’s going on between Stella and Fredrika?

- Most importantly, is the whole thing with Erik going to come out eventually? And how will people react? With support for the monarchy, or with support for Wille?

I have so many more thoughts, but I’m slightly burnt out, and I really should take a break. Also this is way too long. Might have more thoughts once I’ve rewatched the first five episodes, calmly over the weekend…

Also this is very long and I’m sorry.

[unfortunate17]

Hate how some ppl are saying it shouldn’t have been a big deal for Simon to delete his accounts and lay low for Wille. Yeah sure that’s probably what’s expected for the crown prince’s partner, but wasn’t s3’s whole point ‘why should he have to? Why should Wilhelm have to?’ You want a queer king to revolutionise the monarchy but want that monarchy to operate exactly as it always has?

It’s not even that he hated all the attention! He loved being appreciated for his music, he was so happy that boy in bjarstad looked up to him, he thought that if Wille had to start a foundation, he could do some good for a cause he believed in. Yeah they’ll probably always still be in the public eye, but I think with time and support Simon could make peace with that, if he got to handle it in a way that fits his values and lets both him and Wille thrive (this is how pop star Simon can still win). IMO the issue was the royal court and Wille’s own issues leaving him out in the cold, with no idea how to deal with the hate except to “ignore it”

No you’re so right 👏

Honestly I’ve always felt that Simon and Wilhelm both have very “small” dreams. I actually kind of disagree with the pop star Simon agenda (but I also don’t fully disagree with it I think it can work depending on the context), but yeah he loved the positive attention 😭

I see a lot of people who keep saying that abdication wouldn’t solve all of Wilmon’s problems but they’re kind of missing the point?

Like yes Wilmon will always have to live with scrutiny and probably security, but they’ll be free to live how they choose. Wille can cut his hair how he likes, he can get tattoos, paint his nails, move out of the country, choose not to have children, get married however he likes - or not get married, dress how he likes, develop his own interests without wondering how the public is going to perceive him, etc. Simon can post on social media however he likes - they’ll have no reason to hide behind outdated ideas of respectability or tradition.

They’ll be free in all the ways that matter.

I also want to point out that the last thing Wilhelm says to his parents is that he loves them and the queen lets him go. It’s very much implied that Wille’s going to repair his relationship with his parents and it’s probably going to be a lot healthier now that he can be himself

[groenendaelfic]

do you think wille will/should abdícate in the future or do you think he’ll become king one day?

The way this is worded I am 99.9 percent sure this is one of my friends trolling me, but I'll bite anyway even if it is, so strap in, because I have many messy, convoluted THOUGHTS. (in case it isn't sorry for presuming Anon and thanks for your question and being curious about my opinion)

The reason why I think this is a friendly troll ask is because you can't make this an or question and I have been very vocal about that in the past. I mean you can, Young Royals fandom is doing it all the time everywhere, but you shouldn't and yes I'll keep being nitpicky about that.

Why? Because In the context of monarchies and royalty the word abdication only applies to crowned monarchs and yes it does make a difference.

Let me use a (simplified) irl example: Harry didn't abdicate, William can't abdicate (yet), only Charles can and only now that he's king. Charles could have given up his rights to the throne in favor of William when he was still Prince of Wales, but that wouldn't have been an abdication, not if he had done it before becoming King himself.

The same is true for Wilhelm. Wilhelm can only abdicate after ascending the throne. If he's not king, it's not an abdication.

Yes I'll keep harking on about this until the end of my days, because while it might not seem like a big deal what word you use here, it actually makes a big difference legally and politically and on all levels if it's a crowned monarch and head of state formally abdicating or if it's an heir giving up their place in the line of succession.

So what we're actually all discussing here (most of the time) is should Wilhelm give up his place in the line of succession and right to the throne, and my immediate reaction to that (after no, never, but also he's sixteen, it's way to soon for any of that) is, how and in what way?

We're all rooting for Wilhelm and want him to be happy, of course we are. Wilhelm is my absolute favorite, but I hate this trend in the fandom that's romanticizing what everyone likes to call "'Wille's abdication" or abolishing the monarchy in general, because just because "it's right", doesn't mean it's in any way easily or quickly done in a "haha and now Sweden no longer has a monarchy" kind of way. That's not how it works.

Don't get me wrong, I'll never romanticize the monarchy or any other systems enforcing hierarchies and inequality, not in irl nor in any of my fics. Tax billionaires until they aren't anymore, eat the rich and yes, of course get rid of all monarchies, but you can't just go "lol no longer a prince", especially when like Wilhelm, you're still a teenager and can't make a properly informed decision about what you're doing.

Now before you all come at me with pitchforks, of course teenagers can tell right from wrong and make informed decisions, but Wilhelm grew up not only with immense privilege, but also extremely sheltered and in a bubble. Yes he started out his first semester of 'high school' in a public school, but I promise you the majority of his classmates' parents weren't plumbers or tax accountants.

Wilhelm has no idea of real life, not even rich people real life. He doesn't go to the store or buy his own clothes, and neither do his parents, nor do they randomly go to restaurants or whatever. Wille has never been able to go out in public without being photographed and noticed and everyone making a fuss, and he has no idea how most things work because there's always staff doing everything for him quietly and in the background.

If, and I say if, Wilhelm is sure he wants to step back from his role, then he should still wait until his early to mid twenties before doing so, because doing so is complicated and not something he can change his mind about later. Also he needs to learn about normal life first.

But I digress. Lets say Wilhelm does want to give up the throne. He's brought it up himself as a possibility when he was still desperately trying to get Simon back in any way he could. That still makes him a prince and a duke.

He'd still be a member of the royal family/house (I hate how that seems to be used synonymously in English). Not being king wouldn't mean he wouldn't be expected to become a working member of the royal family once he's an adult, except now there'll be a different monarch, one he'll have to obey within the family hierarchy, and chances are it'll be August.

Okay, so we take this a step further. Wilhelm gives up his rights to the throne and doesn't become a working royal, but that would mean betraying his family (his words) and stepping away from them. Not just his parents but everything he's grown up with and everything he knows. And he'd still be a prince and a duke.

Wilhelm will never be Joe Average Wille (is Harry now? Was Diana? and neither of them were next in line), no matter how much he might want to, especially not after S02E06 and I know I've said it before but I'll say it again: he'll keep being hounded, he'll keep being seen as royalty, and the only thing that'll change is who pays for his security.

(which btw the security thing is no joke, I know Wilhelm has no Diana levels of celebrity yet, but he's now the first openly queer modern royal and heir to the Swedish throne, there will be significant international media interest and it will stay, especially now with smart phones being able to capture his every move, and I'm old enough to remember the shit show that happened when Diana no longer had official protection officers and police protection and it was not fun, hounded is an understatement and professional 24/7 security is expensive and private security will never be as good as those who also have government/Security Service resources)

Also I firmly believe that what Wilhelm hates is not being royalty or the future king, but being forced into a role, handed a script and expected to perform without any of his own input.

When that changes, and it will, his attitude towards it will also change.

People argue that he'll be happier once he gives up his place in the line of succession, but I disagree.

I think he might have been happier had he been born a normal kid, but also maybe not because then he'd be a very different person, so there's no telling, but he'd always live with the guilt of betraying his family and heritage, and people, both well meaning and not, will never let him forget that.

Yes he struggles now, and I don't want to make light of his struggles, but every teenager struggles with their identity and place in life and things will be different once he's grown up and more secure in himself.

My 'ideal' fantasy solution were this irl would be for Wilhelm to become the last King and to work with the government to ensure a smooth transition once he retires, because abolishing the Swedish monarchy is complicated, but do I think that'll actually happen? No. Because that's not the kind of person Wilhelm is.

Also Wilhelm has been born to immense wealth, privilege and soft power, all three of which he will to a degree keep all his life no matter what happens.

Of course he needs to put his own mental health and wellbeing first, and I'm aware that he never asked for any of this, but he still has it, and with that comes a duty, and I think it'd be absolutely selfish of him to just take that wealth, privilege and soft power and to let the "common people" deal with the mess he left behind, because let's not kid ourselves, if he announces he'll give up his throne tomorrow and sticks with it until he's eighteen and beyond, do you really think people in power won't do anything they can to keep the system in place?

Kristina loves her son and wants what's best for him, even if she's not the best parent, but she'll not dismantle the system for him.

She knew what August had done, and she still would've rather had him as heir instead of even so much as considering anything else.

The Royal Court most certainly won't, and even if the elected government wouldn't be opposed to getting rid of the monarchy (if, there's a chance but not a guarantee, depending who is in power when that happens), that's not the end of it.

You can't abolish the monarchy and keep the nobility (edit: as it's been pointed out you can in theory, but my point is that the nobility won't be happy about it because it's a threat to them as well, and not just socially, and why would a Sweden in the 21st century do one but not the other, elites don't like changes in the status quo, even if at first glance it doesn't directly affect them, and this does), and there will be plenty of people, both obscenely rich and averagely well off people, who will do their utmost to keep their position of privilege.

It will not only become a matter of equality, Sweden is one of the most egalitarian countries in the world. It'll be about history and heritage and tradition.

It'll be a giant mess and if it wants any chance of succeeding, it'll need someone in power to actively work towards it, someone whose position the monarchists and traditionalists and conservatives respect, and that has to be a King Wilhelm, not a Crown Prince Wilhelm or a Prince Wilhelm or a Joe Average Wille who took his wealth and privilege and soft power and ran away because he chose to be selfish and leave a system in place no one was better able to do something about than him.

Now of course I'm once again talking about an adult Wilhelm, canon Wilhelm is still a teenager and shouldn't have to deal with or worry about any of that, and he gets to want to be selfish, because he's sixteen, but he won't always be sixteen, and when he isn't any longer his outlook will have changed as well.

Now we come to another point though, and that is that Wilhelm is not a revolutionary. He has his own head and a temper and doesn't want to blindly do as he's told, but he's not the kind of person who goes and topples a system.

I don't even think Simon is. He wouldn't mind the monarchy being abolished, sure, but I don't think he has the energy to become a political activist and to fight the system all his life, especially in a life without Wilhelm.

With Wilhelm it's different, there I'm sure he'll use the power he has for good. He'd be aware that he can change things and do his best to choose his engagements carefully should he become a member of the royal family.

That said, in time I don't think Wilhelm will mind being King, not if he also gets to be with Simon at the same time, and I don't think he should give up his place in the line of succession.

Finally, and most importantly, because we're talking about a TV show and a fic fandom here and not irl, I love playing with the idea of the Royal Court, the Swedish upper class, and all the conservatives and monarchists having to (figuratively) bow and scrape to an openly queer, headstrong monarch and the gay, biracial love of his life who also happens to be the son of a poor, immigrant single mother, because that is a very, very cathartic thought, and so yeah, King Wilhelm and Prince/Duke/King Consort Simon all the way, always.

That's what drew me to this show in the first place, a queer Crown Prince, and not a random queer teenager going about his normal life. There're plenty of other (great) shows for that.

[enjoythesilentworld]

Simon’s Month - Purple (Rain)

day 7! @youngroyals-events

Through the power of Prince, Simon tries to pull a prince. Well, an ex-prince.

read below or on ao3 (1.2k, T)

Simon keeps glancing over at him from across the pub. Of course he does, how can he not? The ex-prince is beautiful, but it’s also the fifth time he’s been to this pub while Simon’s performing and he’s still yet to make a move. Though Simon has caught him staring dozens of times now, they’ve not exchanged one word. It definitely won’t be Simon who starts it now. Not only would flirting with royalty (even former royalty) go against every moral standing of his sixteen-year-old self, it’s become a sort of game now. How many times will he catch the little prince looking tonight?

Maybe, Simon thinks, if he performs a song that makes the first move, invites over the pretty man with the cheekbones and the auburn hair through the lyrics, then it doesn’t really count, and technically he still won.

Turning to his guitarist for the evening (a young guy named Sock, was it? Simon really needs to find a new pub; he’s tired of these poser punk types with their five-hundred dollar ripped black jeans and 4-karat nose piercings), Simon asks, “You know anything off Purple Rain?”

Sock stares blankly up at him, guitar pick dangling loosely from his lip.

“You know… the Prince album?”

There’s more blank staring.

“Are you kidding?” Simon huffs.

From over Sock’s shoulder, the drummer, Manny, shakes their head in disappointment. “Ignore him, he’s an idiot. Which song are you thinking?”

Relieved that at least one from his band has some taste in music, he holds out both hands, reaching for Sock’s guitar. “Give me that. No, just take five for this song. This is punishment for not knowing Prince.” Simon watches Sock’s eyes flick over to the corner of the pub where he knows that other prince is sitting, and it makes him even more astonished. “Not that prince. Goddamnit, Sock, just go out back and listen to some Prince, okay? The music artist, Prince. I beg you.”

Ignorant kid out of his sight, and electric guitar in hand, Simon turns back to his drummer and bassist to plan.

A few minutes later, they take the stage.

As Manny bangs out the introduction, Simon lets his eyes roam over the crowd. He can see a few older folk who’ve already recognized the song, and that makes him smile. For now, he keeps his eyes away from the ex-prince, focusing on arranging his fingers on the fretboard of the guitar.

In his head, he counts himself in, then he finds Wilhelm’s eyes in the crowd and begins to sing.

I can't disguise the pounding of my heart

It beats so strong

It's in your eyes what can I say

They turn me on

At this distance, and with the few weak lights pointed at the stage, it’s hard to read his face. He’s definitely looking back at Simon, though.

As Simon starts the next verse, he watches, pleased, as Wilhelm stands off his stool at the bar and moves closer to the small stage.

I don't care where we go

I don't care what we do

I don't care pretty baby

Just take me with u

Closer now, Simon can see that the man has clearly made an effort to step away from his royal past, what with his baggy pants and loose graphic tee. But, somehow, he still looks a little too perfect. His smudged eyeliner is messy, but in a purposeful way. His hair, longer than it used to be (Simon only knows because the gossip rags won’t stop reminiscing on the old, pre-abdication days), is clearly silky and well taken care of. While his fingers skim over the chords, Simon imagines what it’d be like to run his fingers through that hair, to mess that eyeliner up further.

Come on and touch the place in me

That's calling out your name

We want each other oh so much

Why must we play this game?

There’s a small smile on Wilhelm’s face now. He knows this performance is for him, knows Simon is calling him out. And he seems to like it.

Don't care where we go

I don't care what we do

I don't care pretty baby

Just take me with u

Simon doesn’t point directly at him, it’s more of a general point out at the audience. Wilhelm just happens to be right in the center, right in the line of where Simon’s finger directs. Anyway, Simon hasn’t been coy, he’s been staring directly at him, singing directly to Wilhelm this whole time. If anything, the pub and its usuals have probably been watching them dance around each other for weeks.

I don't care if we spend the night at your mansion

I don't care if we spend the night on the town

All I want is 2 spend the night together

All I want is 2 spend the night in your arms

Surely he doesn’t still live in a castle anymore, but even without his titles, there’s no way Wilhelm isn’t filthy rich.

Simon can compromise on a few more of his morals, though, if it means going home with the man, if it means having those long fingers wrapped around his neck, rather than the neck of a glass.

Wilhelm takes a swig of his drink, eyes locked on Simon over the rim, and Simon knows he has him.

To be around u is so-oh right

You're sheer perfection (thank u)

Drive me crazy, drive me all night

Just don't break up the connection

He sings through the last repeats of the chorus, his smirk growing now that Wilhelm’s nearly reached the stage, and he can see the look in his eyes, can see he knows exactly what Simon’s doing.

Just take me with u

Oh won't u take me with u

Honey take me with u

Wilhelm remains seated at the table closest to the tiny stage for the rest of Simon’s set, and if Simon throws in a few more flirty songs, a few extra winks, so what?

When he returns from packing the instruments in the back room, though, Wilhelm has disappeared from the room. Simon tries not to groan out loud in frustration. He shouldn’t be surprised, really, that even after so many weeks and so many longing glances, royal expectations and tradition must die hard.

At the bar, he orders a rum and coke and shoots the bartender a glare when she gives him a look. He takes one sip, then pushes it away, disgusted by the taste.

Technically, he’s got another set in an hour, but he’s not really feeling up to it anymore. Maybe he’ll scan the bar again and see if anyone else strikes his fancy. Better to go home with some other pretty stranger than no one at all.

“Can I buy you another?”

Suppressing a startled jump, Simon takes his time turning to the source of the voice next to him. He props his head on his fist and looks through lazy, half-open eyes at the ex-prince, leaning on the bar beside him. Wilhelm looks slightly awkward, nervous, but the look in his eyes is sure, and the intensity with which he stares at Simon makes something stir in his core.

“I thought you’d left,” Simon says casually, turning back towards the bar, but keeping his body half-tilted towards Wilhelm.

The man clears his throat. “I’d be an idiot to leave after that.”

Simon lets a small smile grow on his face, then looks over his shoulder, brown eyes meeting brown.

“Simon.” He holds out a hand.

The pretty man takes Simon’s hand in a warm grip.

“Wille.”

“Nice to meet you, Wille.” Simon smirks, “Are you a fan of Prince, then?”

Wille bites his lip, then leans forward slightly, Simon’s hand still gripped in his. “I’m a fan of you.”

[serendipitouslyyyyyy]

finally got around to watching young royals season 3 and i have many many thoughts but mostly im just so happy w how they handled august???

like first off, they held off his apology scene until we were at a point narratively where it is very clear that he is very sincere in his remorse. but then they don't make wilhelm accept the apology. yes the apology is earnest and well meant and good, and yes we genuinely believe that he is going to be better, but wille still doesn't owe it to him to say it's okay and it's so important.

but then the most important part of the whole thing was the scene where nils came out to him and vincent. because in that moment, he realizes that yes, he completely and irreversibly fucked up with wille and simon and maybe he will never fully be able to right that wrong, but at least he can do better this time. at least he can learn and grow and never make that fucking mistake again. and no, it doesn't at all reverse the terrible things he's done, but goddammit he's changing.

and that's what makes it satisfying instead of infuriating when (spoilers) wilhelm abdicates and august becomes next in line. a season ago, august becoming king would be literally worst case scenario and therefore while we all wanted wille to abdicate, it would've still made for a shit ending. but i feel like they really put in the work this season to allow august to really earn our respect and feel like he could deserve that fate.

and it makes a point of emphasizing that he doesn't end up with everything. the narrative doesn't cruelly punish him but this story also does not shy away from the consequences of his actions. he fucked things up with sara, for example, and it made it clear that that was a permanent decision. but he still has a path forward and he still has hope which is so refreshing to see from such a troubled character

in conclusion, it's really hard to handle making shitty characters sympathetic in a world with zero media literacy, but what they did with august this season was just the right amount of nuance to make for honestly one of the most interesting characters in the show.

anyways sorry for the fucking essay i'd be surprised if ANYONE read all that

[sammyunhinged]

I’ve been thinking a lot about the possibility that Wilmon won’t be together at the end of this story and as somebody who generally loves tragic, sad, or vaguely unsatisfying endings, this ending is one I won’t be happy with.

While their break-up could be good for Simon, liberating him from something that is causing him so much stress, it also would leave us with a story that only impacts him negatively. Simon has such a beautiful, positive impact of Wille, but Wille has very little on Simon. He absolutely loves and adores him, but their lovestory would have only left him with trauma, isolation, and family problems. There’s ways to tell that sort of story that can truly be beautiful (CMBYN comes to mind), but because of the positive impact it will have on Wille, I fear it will taint viewers idea of Wilhelm.

Additionally, this break-up will not be good for Wille. It will likely devastate him, leaving him angry, anxious, and still with the stress of the monarchy on his shoulders. While their relationship will have a beautiful and positive impact on his life over all. Loving Simon has opened his eyes, made him more politically and socially aware, encouraged him to accept himself, and begin to gain some confidence. While I think the ending could be satisfying for Wilhelm if he finds a way to carve his own path (ideally thought abdication), Wille isn’t the only main character in this story.

This is Simon and Wille’s story. Not just one or the other. Circumstances either will need to majorly change in this final episode if they remain broken up or they need to find a way to navigate this stressful environment together as a time. Because, yes, love shouldn’t be this hard. But loving eachother was never the hard part, it was always the world around them.

[zee-has-commitment-issues]

Hey! 💗 Do you think Wilmon relationship would have been easier if Erik lived? Would Wille still abdicate at some point?

Hey!

I think it would have been easier in some ways and harder in others. Wilhelm wouldn't have had to deal with the pressure of being Crown Prince, which was a good part of his struggle with his relationship in the first place. There's also the question of whether or not the video would have even happened (Wilhelm becomes Crown Prince, goes to the Society party, has to call Simon. No party=no need to call Simon=no video).

HOWEVER. It's been made clear in a lot of interviews with Lisa and the cast that, while Erik wouldn't have disapproved of Wille being queer, he would have disapproved of Wille being with a working class boy. And I think that is where the relationship still would have had problems.

Wilhelm wouldn't struggle with the pressure of being Crown Prince, but he would have likely struggled with his brother's disapproval. He would have had to go through an equal amount of de-idolization with Erik had he lived before he was fully able to be with Simon without wanting to change things.

I do think he would have taken himself out of the line of succession either way. I think it would have been a much easier decision and task if Erik was alive. There wouldn't be a crisis of succession with the original Crown Prince still in line.

[asuratheromantic]

Watching Young Royals is such a roller coaster of emotions like evryone is so toxic. August is such a bitch. Wilhelm is baby and also is goin through the ringer. Kristina is a dick head and deserves to die. Erik gives off weird vibes.

But like Wilmon comes on screen and everything's okay.

Wille abdicate, Wille abdicate right fucking now and elope with your boyfriend. C'mon Wille don't be a bitch

[justanotherhyperfixation]

Wilhelm’s heartbreak

Wilhelm’s heartbreak is portrayed in such a raw and genuine way. They didn’t shy away from the pathetic and dramatic parts of it. Him calling his mom, making a scene and threatening to abdicate only because the boy he loves seemed to move on. Him being the one that was left. The frustration of not being able to be with Simon and feeling so powerless in this situation. Not being able to let go or take a step back. His pain making him inconsiderate and self-centered. It’s palpable that he is physically in pain. That it’s consuming him. Him asking to Felice when the pain will fade. The desperation and exhaustion in his eyes. Him wallowing in sadness and putting on the most depressing tracks. Him collapsing on the stairs at the ball after talking to Simon. But also feeling in his guts that he has to renounce cause it takes too much of him. Him carrying the same pain after but a more peaceful and less suffocating one.

One of my favorite lines is probably ‘I feel like I’m gonna die’. Cause it’s true. It does feel like it. And i find it quite rare to show those big and deep feelings, and without any mockery. Especially when it comes to teenagers. Wilhelm’s pain isn’t looked down on or despised because of him being sixteen. Or because of it being about love. Those feelings are real and intense and he is entitled to feel them. That’s one of the strength of Young Royals for me. To represent the teenage years with accuracy of course but particularly to depict it without any judgment or contempt. Characters and their emotions are taken seriously, they are treated with softness and with the desire to show what they feel and experience with care and beauty.

It made me think of Ethan Hawke’s talk about creativity and how art can help you make sense out of your emotions. He says :

‘Somebody breaks your heart, and all of a sudden, you’re desperate for making sense out of this life and to know if anybody has ever felt this bad before’.

It’s expected to be sad after a breakup but not necessarily to experience a sickening devastating excruciating pain. And i love that they decided to show this. A harsh and harrowing heartbreak.