#crown prince erik

[bigalockwood]

I’ve seen some people say that we don’t know the full truth about Erik and shouldn’t judge too harshly. And while that is true- we’ll never get the full story, because we’d need Erik to be alive and willing to give to us- it doesn’t really matter, not for Wille. Because, yes, he’s worried that Erik may have been homophobic, but his rosy picture of his brother is shattered either way. Because if Erik had been the perfect Crown Prince and person, he would’ve stood up for the first years, whether the whole initiation was his idea or not. Wille always saw Erik as brave and someone who protected him and others. That ideal is destroyed, regardless of which role Erik played in the initiation. He was someone who could’ve pulled rank (and lbr he was a third year, crown prince and popular- he definitely had more sway than anyone else) but let it all happen and participated in it.

And that’s something he never would’ve expected from him.

[othervee]

The Erik Revelation ™

It's a stroke of genius, having us find out about Erik's homophobic, bullying activities at Hillerska at the same time as Wille does. The collective vision of Supportive Erik has been ground to dust for the fandom alongside it happening for Wille. It's a small taste of what it feels like for him.

The entirety of s3 e5 is Wille working through the shock of Erik being part of the fakeness of everything. His last shining beacon of truth, the one good thing about his family, the only reason to keep being part of it.

"My brother was kind and considerate.

He was my role model.

And I will honour his legacy to be a Crown Prince my family will be proud of."

shattered by:

"Erik was there".

[domtheforestgnome]

Erik said it's not that hard to be in a role in front of people.

Then there is a knock to the door and he just...

You CAN actually see how he just changes in a blink of an eye. Like he's doing something inside himself with the emotions. Then he straighten then *poof*

It's kinda scary you know.

[rhetorical-conscience]

[coffeeandstrawberries]

So the scenes of Erik at Hillerska don't make sense to me anymore.

Before S3, he was perceived by a half of the fandom as a Protective Older Brother, and for a good reason. Erik really tried to help Wilhelm, even though he himself didn't have the right answers for the questions Wilhelm was asking.

Back to S1E1. Why did Erik look so happy? Didn't he realize that his little brother was about to go through Forest Ridge initiation? Did he know that Forest Ridge boys excluded SA from the ritual? Or did he consider that experience necessary for Wille? Or was he sure that the students wouldn't do to Wille the same thing Erik did to them? If so, why? August was SAed, and he was a member of the royal family. Why didn't this perspective bother Erik at all?

Considering that it all would be extremely easy to resolve with one short scene, why didn't the creators do it? Erik could simply find a moment to have one-on-one talk with August to tell him "Don't do anything to Wille" or some version of this phrase. It would have let the audience know that something dark was happening in Hillerska and then The Erik Revelation wouldn't come as a complete shock.

Foreshadowing is an essential part of good storytelling. Things just can't come out of nowhere. Was it simply a case of bad writing? Or The Erik Revelation wasn't invented until S2 was shot, that's why there are no clues for it?

[misfithive]

Erik x Wilhelm | I more than just miss you

The song is More by Billy Lockett

[frogprinsen]

Erik: What’s wrong with you?

Wilhelm: Off the top of my head, I’d say alternating low and high self-esteem, a lack of parental affection, and a genetic predisposition for anxiety and depression.

[the-words-we-sung]

Wilhelm + touch - [part 1: s1e1]

[i-thought-it-was-butter]

I may just be over analyzing this, but I can’t stop thinking about the scene in s1 ep3 of young royals when Wilhelm and Simon are walking out of the building and all the students around them start whispering. Wilhelm is (understandably) confused, and that confusion only intensifies when the headmistress pulls him aside with Wilhelm’s mom on the phone. Basically, Kristina tells Wilhelm that Erik, his older brother, is dead, and Wilhelm is completely surprised. The reason I think this is such a big moment is the fact that the student body of Hillerska knew about the death of Wilhelm’s brother before Wilhelm did. The Royal Court took the time to make a social media post or announcement or something before they thought to let Wilhelm know that one of the people Wilhelm loves most in the world is dead. I know we all knew that Kristina prioritizes the monarchy over the family, but I think this scene just highlights that.

Edit: As a few people have pointed out, the students of Hillerska probably knew from a leaked source rather than an official announcement. However, it still says something that the country knows about Wille’s private life before Wille does.

[enjoythesilentworld]

Wille's Month - Voicemail (Free Day)

day 31 @youngroyals-events thank you for everything (more coming in a separate post bc i have a lot of thanks to give)

A collection of voicemails left by Wille.

read below or on ao3 (G, 800)

Simon’s phone. March 29th, 2027, 4:29pm.

“Hi baby! I’m on my way home, I’m just about to stop at the store. Did you say we needed more milk? I’ll grab some anyway, I think I have a coupon. Oh my gosh, you’ll never believe what I saw on my lunch break today. I took a walk around the park and there was this little mama duck, and she had a little trail of babies following after her. I nearly cried. I was late getting back to the shop because I stayed to watch them swim around in the pond. And I- Oh, I just remembered I sent you a video of that. Well, I’m telling you again because it bears repeating. One of these days when we move out of the city, we should get a bunch of animals or something. I think I’d make a good farmer. Or would that make us ranchers? Anyway, I’ll see you in a few. I love you!”

Felice’s phone. November 11th, 2029, 7:13am.

“Felice, we have an issue. I’ve been following this recipe you sent so closely but I’ve managed to screw it up. Why do my egg whites look like this? … I just remembered you can’t see them. I’ll text you a picture. They’re all grainy and weird, though. Are you busy right now? This would be so much easier if we could do this on FaceTime or something. I’d owe you big time. I guess call me when you wake up, if you can? Love you. Thanks in advance.”

Linda’s phone. October 20th, 2027, 5:32pm.

“Hi Linda! Simon and I are running a bit late. Someone had to spend an extra thirty minutes fixing his— Hey! I’m trying to explain to your mom why it’s not my fault we’re late! Sorry, Linda. We’ll be there soon, I promise. Simon is being very safe, though, and definitely not taking his hands off the wheel to try to steal my phone. I made some new cookies with a recipe Felice gave me, too. I’m excited for you to try them! You have to actually give me a sincere review this time. I appreciated all your kindness last time, but I want you to be brutally honest about these ones. Okay, we’re about five minutes out. See you soon!”

August’s phone. February 1st, 2034, 9:48pm.

“Hi, August. It’s Wille. I saw a short clip of the ceremony today. Sorry I couldn’t make it. Mamma seems confident in you, and I actually think you’ll do a good job. I’m not calling you ‘Your Royal Highness’, though… I wish you the best. Bye.”

Sara's phone. July 15th, 2025, 3:06pm.

“Okay, I grabbed what you said. I think— Oh, sorry. Hi. It’s Wille. You know that. Listen, I am worried he’s getting suspicious. I’m bad at keeping secrets from him, you know this. I still think no one should’ve told me and this party could’ve been a surprise for both of us. Sorry, rambling. I think I managed to find everything on the list. They only had two packs of purple balloons left, so hopefully 50 is enough. Oh! The cake looks awesome, too. Felice did a great job. He’s going to love it. Okay, I gotta go, he’s coming. See you— Hi Simon! … No, just a scam call. How—”

Kristina’s phone. September 5th, 2032, 6:11pm.

“Hi Mamma. I’m sorry I missed your call earlier. Things have been really busy over here. The movers showed up on time, thankfully, and everything went smoothly. We managed to get a lot unpacked already. Simon and I just had our first official dinner at our new kitchen table! Let me know when you and Pappa want to come visit. I’d say give us a few weeks to at least get the majority of the boxes cleared out. You’re going to love the view of the lake. It’s so beautiful, Mamma… I’m really happy here. Okay. Call me when you can… I love you. Say hi to Pappa.”

Erik’s phone. June 1st, 2026, 1:52am.

“Hi Erik. It’s your brother. Wille. Um… I graduated today. I didn’t end up finishing at Hillerska. It got shut down. You may actually know a little bit about why. I don’t want to talk about that… The past few years have been really tough, Erik. There are a lot more good days than bad ones now, but it still hurts every day. I miss you a lot. I hope you’ve forgiven me for stepping down from the throne. I think you have. You knew I never wanted it. I’m starting at uni in the fall, and Simon and I are going to live together. I’m really excited, actually. Normal life, and all that. Maybe I’ll even get a job. Imagine that. Former Crown-Prince working as a barista. Um, okay. I should probably get back to sleep. I’ll call again soon. I love you, big brother… Bye.”

[othervee]

Portrait of a royal family

I love that Young Royals is the kind of show you can re-re-rewatch and discover new stuff every time, because of the care and attention that's gone into it.

For instance - what we learn about the royal family and Wilhelm's place in it, including the unspoken things.

First vision of the royal family, and we see that their space is not theirs. There are thirteen people in this room; courtiers and staff outnumber the family more than 2:1. The family is also divided, with Erik and the Queen (the current and future rulers) standing together attending to business, while Wilhelm and his father are seated and talking. Wilhelm is also separated from his father by the staffer standing between them while she covers up Wilhelm's bruises. There's an array of cosmetic products in front of them; this is something they take seriously, not just a bit of concealer. So not only is Wilhelm unable to lick his wounds in privacy, but the family wants to conceal his injuries; they can't show that he's hurting.  

The Queen's first interaction with her youngest son is all about the visuals. She grabs his face to check the makeup job; we don't know whether she actually checked the visible injuries before Wille sat down. It's as if he's a little kid. No boundaries. You could almost see it as an extension of their relationship in general; Wilhelm is at the age where teenagers test boundaries, and his mother is angry and maybe a little scared because of the dangers he's exposing himself to. In a non-royal house, this perhaps wouldn't be quite such a big deal.

Kristina's next act is to slap Wilhelm's hand out of his mouth when he's biting his nails, with an exasperated snap that tells us she's done this a lot and is tired of it. The end result is that everyone in the room witnesses Wilhelm being scolded. Even his "private" humiliation is not private.

What else does this scene tell us? It is not a comfortable, or comforting, environment. The chairs are straight-backed and gilded. The table is covered in the detritus of a working day - laptops, coffee - but it does not look like a convenient place to work. Everyone's quite formally dressed; staff in uniforms or office attire, Erik in his military uniform, Wilhelm and his father in suits, and the Queen in royal blue. Her jewellery is conservative-coded with its tiny pearls and cameo. Dignified, stately, not flashy; stiff; made for show, not comfort; old-fashioned. This is the world Wilhelm uneasily inhabits and has tried to escape.

The scene on the couch is excruciating for Wilhelm and clearly uncomfortable for everyone else. The family are not in harmony; there's not a moment when they all look in the same direction. Ludvig looks like he's thinking about his stamp collection or his stock options or what he wants for dinner. Erik is keeping an excellent neutral expression but his eyes keep moving to Wille, checking out his face and his nervous hands, monitoring how he's feeling. The Queen is also looking at Wilhelm, but it's a pointed look, expectant and also silently saying Get on with it, and don't stuff it up.

We learn more about the family when Erik and Wille arrive at Hillerska. Note that Erik is the one who drives him there, probably taking time away from his Crown Prince duties. Did he offer, knowing it would be easier for Wilhelm? Although he clearly cares about his brother, he's also trusted to do the right thing and deliver him safely. He's part of the apparatus that's setting Wilhelm back into place. (Erik, I think, is not nearly as much on Wille's side as much of the fandom believes; he's just the closest thing Wille has to someone on his side).

August, like the Queen, is all about the image - and grabbing Wille's face without invitation. He's also all about Erik. And I'm sure he's also very aware of all the faces watching them from the window behind them, and the press in front of them, but he sees it as an advantage. He doesn't care about the reality as long as the image is right.

Does Wille find it disconcerting that August and Erik are so closely bonded? Erik clearly intends Wille to think of August as another big brother, an Erik-substitute, but Wille's seeing that there's another 'little brother' in Erik's life and that Erik is leaning in to seeing August again at the moment when Wille needs him most.

August is letting down his guard here. I think this is the most natural, uncalculated reaction we get out of him all season.

Wilhelm is being almost squashed between August and Erik as they talk across him. Again, Erik barely pays Wille any attention while August is around. This would further alienate Wille from him.

And here we really begin to see that, as much as he loves his brother and his brother adores him, Erik is part of the machinery that grinds Wille down. Let's look at his lines in this scene:

He's lived through his own adolescence and his time at Hillerska, and he came around to the establishment way of thinking. Surely Wille will too. So he'll be understanding and kind, but like his parents, he expects Wille to knuckle down. He's not going to encourage Wille to dream of a life beyond the gilded cage.

[domtheforestgnome]

Still crying about this.

[cr1nge-culture]

may 7: erik

@youngroyals-events

"Is it bad that I still miss Erik?" Wille asks one night, tucked into Simon's side.

"What? Of course not," Simon responds, brushing a strand of hair behind Wille's ear.

"But he— I mean," he shrugs, picking at his fingers. "What if he wasn't..."

"He's your brother," Simon takes his hands, rubbing softly at the callouses. "And he didn't know. It's okay to love him. And it's okay to be hurt, too."

Wille presses his forehead into Simon's neck, "I just want to talk to him, at least one more time."

"I know, mi amor."

"It's not fair."

"It's not."

[springjjjj]

The way monarchy just dumped every responsibility to Wille while he's still grieving for his brother's death or his mother talking about his 'future children' when he's currently in love with someone out of their expectation or even when his mother is just reminding him of people's judgment but the way she talks feels like she's already comparing him to his older brother. Then his dad not saying a single thing, he's not even a father but just a prince consort.

What a frustrating scene..

[frogprinsen]

Erik: You can't just set all your problems on fire.

Wilhelm: You'd be surprised how many things are flammable.

[missezri]

There is so much that I love about this conversation between Wilhelm and Boris.

He’s actually doing some work with therapy. The discussion about the two sides Erik has, and how Erik seemed to handle both so well.

I want to point out this moment.

On the surface it does seem easy to be a royal. The physical aspects at least of giving awards, cutting ribbons, giving speeches, smiling for the camera sort of things are not that physically demanding. Simon’s first words to Wilhelm more or less hint at this stating that the Royal Family are freeloaders on the country. Their job on the surface isn’t hard.

How hard can it be to be a working royal?

What is hard is the constant public scrutiny, having to have two personas competing, to think a head about how your words or actions could be perceived. 

For Wilhelm it was international news that he was possibly in a sex tape.

There is a mental aspect that makes the job hard. Even more so for Wilhelm who physically throws up when confronted with speaking in front of his class. No one really puts into perspective how mentally difficult this job could be.

So much to unpack in this small conversation, and the delivery was perfect.