#yr meta

I think it’s fair to say that most of the fandom was quite happy with the finale. However, I’ve seen a handful of posts by people who were unhappy, specifically  those who were unhappy with Wille giving up his place in the line of succession. These criticisms range in everything from dismissing Wille’s choice (Wilhelm has made a harsh decision without thinking of the consequences, this won’t actually make the media circus around him go away), to those disappointed in how the monarchy in general was represented (Wille could have modernized the institution, no one in the show attempted to consider how the monarchy could be good, actually). I don’t want to invalidate anyone’s feelings about the finale. If you didn't like it, that’s more than ok and I don’t want to argue with anyone about their taste. 

But when it comes to criticism about Wilhelm giving up the throne,  I do find myself frustrated at what I see as a fundamental misunderstanding of what this show was trying to communicate. Young Royals, plain and simple, is a story that  denounces the incompatibility of antiquated and hierarchical institutions (Hillerska, the monarchy) with equality and justice. 

If you’ve had the displeasure of being my fandom friend you’ll know that I’ve spent the last 3 years yelling about how this show is about abolishing the monarchy. I even wrote a lengthy  fanfic with the sole excuse of having Wilhelm arrive at this conclusion. Still, I knew that whatever statement the show wanted to arrive at, we’d only really be getting to it at the end of the show. 

Seasons one and two were setting up all the characters on the chessboard for the end: Wilhelm is the Crown Prince, although he does not want to be. He and Simon are in love, but Wilhelm’s role drives a wedge between them. Erik’s legacy and August's spot next in line are keeping Wilhelm in his place.

 From episode one, I think the show was telling us about the many things that are wrong with the monarchy, but I don’t think it’s until season three that these discussions become more explicit. Is this why some people were disappointed by the ending? Maybe so. Still, I wanted to look at how season three in particular answers some of the questions or issues  people are bringing up regarding both the monarchy and the Wilhelm’s choice. 

What do you like about the monarchy? 

Season 3 Episode 4 is the first time we hear an explicit discussion about why the monarchy could potentially be a good institution. I’ve seen some people complain that the show didn’t give this idea enough thought. 

I completely disagree with this take: the short conversation Wille and Simon have in this episode  is succinct, but still effective at presenting both arguments in this debate. A  longer and more drawn out conversation would have been a bit unrealistic and probably boring to watch. These are not academics having a debate, but two teenagers who are talking about what for them is emotionally charged.

There’s also no need for a longer, more detailed discussion. Wilhelm does provide a very good answer to the question: The monarchy is there to unite the people. To be a neutral party in situations when the government cannot or will not interfere. 

A quick civics lesson: In parliamentary democracies, the monarch serves as the Head of State. 

This role is predominantly representative, although in many places the government is formed in the name of the monarch. This could, theoretically, grant them some political power-- since they could technically reject the winning party from forming a government. However, in most parliamentary monarchies, the King or Queen simply has to accept whatever decision is made based on election results.

However, the value of the Head of State is precisely in its apolitical nature. Regardless of who’s in power, the head of state is a neutral ambassador of the nation, both in and outside of their country. Their job is diplomatic and representative, and one that is thoroughly divorced from politics. This is what Wilhelm meant when he said that the monarchy was there to ‘unite the people’. Whenever I’ve spoken to pro-monarchy folks about their beliefs, they cite this as the reason why they like it. 

It’s easy to see why Wilhlem would latch on this as his main argument to defend the institution. I don’t think there is anything inherently bad about having a separate head of state that represents the country. I don’t think the major grip with this issue is the having a head of state, but the fact that the head of state is a hereditary position. Simon says this himself twice in this episode: the issue is not that the head of state exists, but that the head of state is not an elected position. Furthemore, the head of state is a role that is imposed on a person not by their talent as a public speaker or negotiator, but by a simple accident of birth. 

The job’s legitimacy or importance should not be above any individual’s right to autonomy and self-determination. Furthermore, considering that taxpayers are the ones who finance this position, shouldn’t they be able to elect who it is? 

Let’s imagine a scenario where a friend tells you they’ve gone into a career because everyone in their family works in that industry, and they simply had no choice in the matter. It wouldn’t even matter if they were good or bad, they had a job in this career guaranteed from birth. 

 Would you not be concerned that maybe your friend is unhappy for a rather unnecessary reason? Would you not think that perhaps someone who actually wanted the job would be better suited for it? Would you think it right for a company to hire someone simply because of their family history? Would you consider any of this fair? And what is so special about monarchy that makes us have a different answer for it than we would if the question was about law or medicine? 

You’ll always be famous. 

Another common criticism I’ve seen is that Wilhelm will inevitably regret his decision, especially once he realizes that public scrutiny will not be going away. This is true, Wilhelm will likely always  be a figure of public interest. But to me, this has always been a negative consequence of the monarchy, and I have a hard time seeing this is a valid reason why he should stay in it. 

From the second we meet him, we know Wilhelm is uncomfortable with both the public attention and the scrutiny placed on him. However, this goes a bit further than that. I’d argue than more than the  scrutiny itself,  Wilhelm is weighed down by having to keep a public image. Because, remember folks, Wilhelm is not merely an awkward teenage boy with acne and a crush. No, no, Wilhelm is the State. Wilhelm is going to be a publicly-funded representative of the nation . This means, of course, that there’s a narrative, as he mentions himsef, that needs to be put forward. One that’s generic, serious, and unproblematic: 

From the get go, Wilhelm is uncomfortable with the inauthentic and performative aspect of his role.This is a constant we see with Wilhelm in seasons one and two: every ‘performance’ he has to do fills him with nausea, anxiety, or some sort of discomfort.

In season three, Wilhelm begins acquiescing to this performance. Uncomfortable as he may be, for most of season 3 he’s accepted that this is his role. However, the attention this season shifts from Wilhelm to Simon, who’s now the one facing public scrutiny. The difference is that, unlike Wille, there’s no role for Simon to play. Nothing about who he is or what he believes is compatible with the public image the monarchy is putting forward. The only thing he can do in this situation is disappear, and Wilhelm is tasked with having to ask that of him. 

I know a lot of people were exasperated at Simon’s very bad and clumsy social media presence. I’m not gonna argue that my boy wasn’t being a bit cringey, because he absolutely was. But I think the larger commentary here has more to do with the expectation that these two teenagers have to censor and edit themselves to comply with a particular PR image. 

Ultimately, the criticism that Wilhelm will always be famous leads us straight back to the institution. Why does an underage boy have the same PR expectations as a politician? Why is a teenager dating his classmate + being cringe online justification for doxxing him? Unfortunately, no abdication is really going to undo any of this, and things are certainly going to be crazy once Wilhelm announces he’s stepping down .

However, this time around both he and Simon will at least have the agency to decide what they want to do with their public image, including the decision to disappear from the public completely if that’s what they want.

Queer representation 

This a sentiment that has been in the fandom for some time now. This was the main argument why some people wanted Wille to stay in the monarchy. Sure, the institution has always been about bloodlines and tradition. But wouldn’t it be so nice to have Wilhelm as a symbol for the queer community? I’ve always found this idea a bit shallow. I’m not sure how much of a symbol of a queer and progressive country Wilhelm could be, when the whole idea is predicated on absolutely no one having a choice in the matter. Is it really impressive to accept the queerness of the guy you already had no choice in accepting?  

There’s three scenes in season 3 where the potential Wilhelm -and by extension Simon-  could have for the queer community come up.  Farima brings it up in the first episode, but the framing here is reversed. Wilhelm isn’t serving the LGBTQ community by being a queer Prince, but the monarchy is using Wilhelm (and his queerness) to appear progressive.

The show, however, does humor this idea with the May 1st photo. We see what Simon and Wilhelm could potentially do for the community by simply existing as who they are: they’re inspirational. It gives Simon, briefly, hope that maybe something good could come out of this. 

But this moment is quite literally framed by politics. It doesn't matter that Simon is not participating in that manifestation, anything that is slightly connected with politics is a challenge to neutrality of the monarchy. This same idea is stated more explicitly int the next episode, when Wilhelm is reviewing the options for his charity.

Ultimately, any action significant enough to be truly impactful, would be bordering the limits of what could be considered political. He's got to stick it out with these quite frankly boring and limited themes, all for the sake of staying on the very narrow lane of things that are not political.

The weight of the crown. 

Stories about Kings and Queens usually carry the same fundamental tension of duty vs self. 

In order to rule, our protagonist has to sacrifice themselves, usually for the sake of their country and people. The Crown is an excellent example of this type of story. Sacrifice in that series is framed as something noble and selfless. 

Young Royals started out with this same fundamental tension, but the main difference is that Young Royals has framed this debate as a question: 

Why should Wilhelm give himself up, his happiness, the love of his life, and  his mental well-being? What’s so important and valuable about this institution that requires this sacrifice?

Wilhelm’s journey is about accepting and voicing his answer. He doesn’t want to be Crown Prince, he doesn’t want to be King. 

But by virtue of taking part of this journey with him, we’re able to examine this question from a different perspective: Is this institution valuable enough to justify all of this? I think the show is inviting all of us to evaluate this situation and arrive at the conclusion that it isn’t.

Then I tried to imagine Wille as a crown prince in a historical setting and it broke my heart

Because if Wille had lived in that kind of royal court in premodern Sweden, he would’ve been eaten alive

I don’t know a lot about what the premodern royal court of Sweden was like, but in a lot of historical films and dramas, royal courts are full of intrigue, scheming, backstabbing, secrets, false promises, politicking, treachery, things like that

Wille would’ve had to deal with all these horrible things if he lived in the premodern era— courtiers who may be trying to poison him, nobles who smile to his face but scheme behind his back, corrupt advisors who would try to play him like a puppet, being forced to become a mini-adult in his childhood days, getting married off in his teen years, etc. And since he has pretty bad anxiety, the rest of the royal family would’ve seen that as ‘unbecoming’ of a future king in that era

So he’d also have to deal with harsh doctors who will prescribe all kinds of terrible ‘treatments’, which may even be borderline torture, to deal with his ‘madness’

Wille was already suffering in the royal courts of the 21st century. But at least he managed to make friends and find people he could trust and truly love, and eventually he managed to break free from the chains of royal duty

A premodern Wille would not have had that luxury. He would be trapped in the royal life forever, until he eventually died young and alone and miserable

The royal courts of history would’ve been cruel to Wille if he lived in that era, unless he became just as ruthless and cutthroat. And if he didn’t, if he remained kind and gentle, then the royal court would kill him

he really saw wille's awkward attempts at trying to get close to him and decided to go right for the throat and straight up flirt at a prince of the country.

the overt challenge and flirtiness in "tag along if you dare..🙂" and "i get it, you're too scared of august..☺️" when texting wille in 1x02.

two more texts and he'd have probably sent a kissy face or something.

His suitcase. The burden he came onto the scene carrying. The burden he was, for the purposes of this scene, “born with”

Get what I’m saying ? The suitcase is the Crown. The title of Crown Prince

For now, at least

But then, he and August start fighting over it. Who gets to hold it. Who gets to carry the weight

Now, remember, Wilhelm very likely doesn’t want to carry it. Or even have it in his vicinity. Because he doesn’t want to come to Hillerska (read : be forced to conform to the rigid roles of his title) at all

But it’s still his. August can’t have it. Because it’s his

Now, look at this

August is standing with Erik, right in front of the poison-green doors of Hillerska (of tradition and rigidity, metaphorically). Wilhelm, notably, is not

He is outside the boundary created by the edges of the doorway. He is not compatible with the rigidity of tradition and the class system

Now remember, Erik is the monarchy. He’s the perfect Prince. The perfect heir. The perfect monarch

He is, for all intents and purposes, the metaphorical stand-in for the monarchy

And he’s hugging August - read : in the struggle over the “suitcase”, the Crown will support August over Wilhelm

Accurate to the third season ? Not exactly, but as Wilhelm himself pointed out, the court may have wanted to make HIM the Prince, but August is by far a more “proper” choice of monarch

More traditional. More arrogant. More obedient

Erik hugging August does not symbolise the Court supporting August, but the fact that August is simply more compatible with the conformist, classist concept of a monarchy than Wilhelm

And we get that next scene too, because notably, that fight ? August wins it. He gets the Crown. He becomes Crown Prince

But no matter what, the suitcases still end up in Wilhelm’s room. He won their little squabble over the “suitcase”, but in the long term, Wilhelm is the winner

Not the Crown ( note Erik has no suitcase in the scene). Not August. Wilhelm

Because he may have lost the Crown to August, but not only does he do so of his own volition, he wins a far greater prize in the long term

Happiness

We learn right away, yes, August can and will mess with Wille and Wille will be forced to deal with that whether he wants to or not and then we learn why: August IS the royal familiy at Hillerska. And it´s just what they do.

Wilmon and Sara x August are FOILS. This might be something that the people have figured out already, but I DID NOT until after watching s3 and I haven't see anyone say it yet so like I'm gonna do it.

I'm sorry this is gonna be a LONG post.

****SPOILERS UNDER THE CUT****

there were so many royal photographers taking pictures of the whole thing when wilhelm arrived at hillerska? so there's almost certainly a picture of this exact moment wilhelm fell in love with simon captured for all eternity??