Released a year before Joe Locke and Kit Connor first made fans swoon as Nick and Charlie, <\/span>Young Royals<\/span><\/a> took us into the world of Hillerska, a Swedish boarding school where the Crown Prince, named Wilhelm, falls in love with a scholarship student named Simon Eriksson.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In season 1, a leaked sex tape starring the frisky pair put their relationship in jeopardy, and then they broke up completely in season two. That is, until Wilhelm publicly came out to the country in a moving declaration of love for Simon. With the third and final season now upon us, will the prince get his happy ending or is this star-crossed romance doomed to fail?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The answer to that won\u2019t be clear until Netflix releases the very last episode of Young Royals, which it\u2019s cheekily kept hidden away from us even now like a royal state secret. But look, we get it. Wil and Simon, AKA #Wilmon, are endgame for a whole generation of LGBTQ+ fans who are desperate to see the couple end up happy together, and that\u2019s not just the case in Sweden.<\/span><\/p>\n Across two seasons, only 12 episodes in total, Young Royals has already resonated worldwide with a story that transcends language \u2013 and people too lazy to read subtitles \u2013 by tapping into young queer love with kindness and some much-needed authenticity.<\/span><\/p> \u00a0<\/p>\n Like the Norwegian Skam, this show\u2019s spiritual forebear in so many ways, Young Royals feels real in a way that many other teen shows do not, especially when it comes to LGBTQ+ experiences. From the casting of young actors who actually look their age, like someone you could genuinely meet in a real-life school, to the adorably awkward way Wil and Simon fumble through their affections, the show captures queer teen experiences with a rare honesty.<\/span><\/p>\n There are coy smiles and secret glances and there are also super horny makeout sessions that shift Young Royals towards the older end of the YA spectrum, but there\u2019s nothing glossy or even seedy about the way this is all handled. Wil and Simon fall in love just like most of us did at that age, or at least those of us who felt comfortable enough to explore same-sex relationships at a point in our lives that\u2019s often tricky to navigate. In that regard, Young Royals also appeals to older viewers too as a kind of wish fulfilment in much the same way that Heartstopper does.<\/span><\/p>\n It\u2019s remarkable just how in tune Young Royals is with real life given how the series revolves around the struggles of an actual prince at an extremely posh boarding school. The trick here is how the writing circumvents this potentially elitist setup by positioning class difference as an obstacle for Wil and Simon to navigate rather than something to aspire to.<\/span><\/p>\n Heartstopper is more grounded with its regular school setting yet it\u2019s arguably less realistic when it comes to sex and also homophobia, something that Young Royals pays particular attention to in season 3. That\u2019s not to say this twee, innocent outlook is intrinsically bad in this context though. For many teenagers, especially queer kids, smaller forms of affection like a heartfelt hug or secret hold-handing resonate more than the drug-fuelled horniness of Euphoria<\/a> or the bizarre tickle-fests in Riverdale<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n Where the shared appeal of Heartstopper and Young Royals crosses over is in how the emotions that bubble under the surface of all this teen longing are foregrounded with a great deal of nuance. In both real life and the world of TV, YA thoughts and feelings are often dismissed or overlooked as childish, but not in these two shows.<\/span><\/p>\n Here, teen pain and awkwardness and also the euphoric joy of being swept up in love are given space to breathe and be explored, whether it\u2019s through Nick\u2019s coming out and Charlie\u2019s eating disorder or Wilhelm\u2019s grief and Simon\u2019s defiance.<\/span><\/p>\n It\u2019s no wonder that there are countless social media accounts dedicated to Young Royals and Heartstopper as well. Because to the diehard fans invested in these relationships, Wil and Simon and Nick and Charlie exist beyond just the page or screen. They matter because the feelings involved are real, even if the characters are not. <\/span><\/p>\n And that\u2019s why Young Royals will continue to resonate long after season 3 has ended and #Wilmon (hopefully) get to enjoy the happy ending they\u2019ve always deserved. Because the fans deserve a happy ending for themselves as well, especially queer kids who don\u2019t have it easy by any means, even now in 2024.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n![\"Nick](\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2023\/05\/heartstopper-season-2-294411e.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413\" "\\"Heartstopper")
\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>![\"Simon](\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2024\/03\/A8A1496Johan-PaulinNetflix.jpgA8A1496Johan-PaulinNetflix-8eb6b7a.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413\" "\\"Young")
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