We Need a ‘Young Royals’ Movie — Three Seasons Wasn’t Enough

The Big Picture

• Prince Wilhelm renounces his role as crown prince for himself, choosing a normal life over privilege and power.
• Simon’s passion for music may lead to a professional career, while his relationship with Wilhelm blossoms.
• August Horn of Årnäs, now next in line for the throne, faces the pressures of being king despite his troubled past.

After three seasons, the Swedish Netflix sensation known as Young Royals came to a close last week. The drama series follows the life of a young prince named Wilhelm (Edvin Ryding) who struggles to fulfill the expectations set by his royal family. At the very beginning of Young Royals, Wilhelm is not in the direct line for the throne, with that obligation reserved for his older brother, Prince Eric (Ivar Forsling). However, Eric dies in a car crash and Wilhelm becomes next in line to be king. This does not sit well with Wilhelm, especially because the death of his brother and the daunting reality of his future weigh down on him at the very same time that Wilhelm realizes he’s gay. Wilhelm’s true sexuality is unearthed by a character named Simon Eriksson (Omar Rudberg), a student at Wilhelm’s boarding school known as Hillerska. Although Wilhelm is initially uncomfortable with his new feelings, he cannot deny his attraction to Simon, an attraction that operates on a physical, emotional and spiritual level. Simon actually fell for Wilhelm first, but Wilhelm evidently fell ten times harder for Simon.

What Will Happen To Wilhelm?

At the very end of Young Royals Season 3, Wilhelm renounces his role as crown prince. Wilhelm made this choice not for Simon, but for himself. For the entirety of Young Royals, Wilhelm felt burdened by his future because he was in line to be king. Wilhelm battled anxiety throughout the series. He was always biting his nails or rubbing his chest. The vast majority of his anxiety centered around the prospect of being king. Wilhelm tried to become comfortable with his future, but it was obvious that he never felt at home among his royal family. He loved his family members, but he always felt second best to his late older brother, Prince Eric. And Wilhelm’s mother, Queen Kristina of Sweden (Pernilla August), and his father spoiled him, but they neglected him emotionally.

In the second to last episode of Young Royals Season 3, Wilhelm reaches breaking point on his seventeenth birthday. During an awkward afternoon-tea consisting of fruitless small talk, Wilhelm unleashes all of his buried feelings upon his parents, accusing them of never being there for him when he really needed it. Wilhelm screams at Kristina, telling her that she cared more about being his boss rather than his mother. However, by the very end of the series, the family reconciles. Surprisingly, Kristina apologizes for the neglect she inflicted upon Wilhelm, and she also accepts Wilhelm’s decision to renounce the throne.

So, now Wilhelm is no longer a prince. He has chosen to live a normal life over one of privilege and power. He chose to be with Simon over his family. As freeing as this will be for Wilhelm, it will also be a big adjustment for him. There were a few moments throughout the series when Wilhelm wasn’t aware of his own privilege and that caused tension between him and Simon, since they each grew up in very different circumstances. Although being a prince had its pressures, there is just as much pressure being a normal human being. What will Wilhelm do now? Where will he go to school? Will he go to college? How will he pay the bills? Will he remain in contact with his parents? Or will they cut him off completely? The ending of Young Royals was a very satisfying one, with Wilhelm and Simon engaging in a very passionate reconciliation, so it is hard not to think about what their future together will consist of.

What Will Happen To Simon?

Simon was not just Wilhelm’s love interest in Young Royals, he is his own independent, outspoken and brave character who values fairness and respect. As we hope for a Young Royals movie, we can also hope for Simon’s singing career to take off professionally. Singing has been Simon’s passion throughout the series, as he used this to express his love for Wilhelm. Simon’s musical creativity has plenty of potential now that he and Wilhelm’s relationship is in full swing. Aside from Simon’s pursuit of music, we also want to see where he and Wilhelm end up. Will they live with Simon’s mother, or will they move away from Bjärstad? We can assume that Simon and Wilhelm will always be together now, but will too much time together put a strain on their relationship? This is why we need a Young Royals movie to know the fate of our favorite couple.

What Will Happen to August?

With the tragic death of Prince Eric, and with Wilhelm renouncing his role as king, the next in line is August Horn of Årnäs (Malte Gårdinger). August has had a very chaotic, tumultuous, disturbing but no less captivating arc throughout Young Royals.He is the villain of the series, but his villainy unquestionably arises from his own demons. Between his eating disorder, stress levels, anxiety, anger issues, and jealousy, while also mourning his late father, and being haunted by his regrets, August certainly provided a lot of drama in Young Royals.

However, by the very end of the series, August did display some redeeming qualities. In Season 1, he was insufferably arrogant, but by the end of Season 3, he showed signs of humility and maturity. Nevertheless, the responsibility of being king has now fallen to August. Although August did eventually show some growth, being king will come with a whole new set of pressures, challenges and sacrifices. Looking at August’s track record of mental instability, it is a bit daunting to imagine him as the King of Sweden. But we want to see it. We want the drama that August is so good at creating.

What Will Happen to Queen Kristina of Sweden?

In Season 3 of Young Royals, Queen Kristina’s mental health deteriorated rapidly. She was suffering from mental breakdowns regularly, causing her to withdraw from her royal obligations. Her mental breakdown stemmed from the death of her eldest son, Prince Eric. Although Eric was killed in Season 1, Queen Kristina hadn’t properly dealt with her shock. Luckily, by the end of Season 3, Queen Kristina’s mental health had improved slightly. However, on top of losing her eldest son, her youngest son has now renounced his role as king. Although Queen Kristina accepted Wilhelm’s decision, how will she cope with losing both of her sons? And how will she cooperate with August now that he is king, even though it was never his birthright? The tension will be high.

What Will Happen to Sara and Felice?

Last we saw Sara (Frida Argento) and Felice (Nikita Uggla) – they were driving down the Hillerska driveway like the main characters in a coming-of-age film. Their recently reconciled friendship left us wanting more. With Hillerska closed, where will the best friends go to school? Will Hillerska remain closed? If so, it is hard to imagine the wealthy and privileged Felice going to a school in Bjärstad. Or maybe Sara will follow Felice to another fancy school instead? It is obvious the two girls do not want to be apart. We want to see their promising futures, as well as all the other Young Royals characters in a Young Royals movie.

Young Royals is currently streaming on Netflix in the U.S.

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