Young Royals
What It Feels Like
Hillerska, an elite Swedish boarding school. Prince Wilhelm is sent there after a scandal; Simon is the scholarship student who doesn't belong. They fall in love across class lines, across the expectations of monarchy, across the internet that watches everything. This is teen drama with Swedish precision: less melodrama than American equivalents, more emotional truth. The Crown meets Skam—the crown prince who wants to be ordinary, the ordinary boy who wants him.
The 7-Dimension Analysis
Characters & Acting (8/10)
Edvin Ryding as Wilhelm is the center: a prince who hates being Prince, a boy who wants love and duty won't allow. Omar Rudberg as Simon is his opposite: working-class, confident in his identity, refusing to be secret. The supporting cast—Malte Gårdinger as the toxic August, Frida Argento as Simon's sister—creates a complete social ecosystem. The performances feel lived-in, authentic to teen experience.
World Building (7/10)
Hillerska as microcosm: the dorms, the dining hall, the traditions, the hierarchies. The Swedish monarchy as institution—duty, expectation, the crown that waits. The world expands across seasons: the royal court, the media environment, the families. Specific, convincing, emotionally charged.
Cinematography (6/10)
Swedish production values: natural light, handheld cameras, intimacy in every frame. The style matches the content—teen romance rendered with documentary-adjacent observation. The sex scenes are unusually frank for the genre; the emotional moments are captured without manipulation. Effective without being distinctive.
Visual Spectacle (3/10)
No spectacle. This is board school, romance, family conflict. The "spectacle" is Wilhelm's public appearances—the camera flashes, the expectations. But the drama is entirely personal: two boys trying to be together when the world demands they be apart.
Conceptual Density (7/10)
Class, duty, sexuality, social media, the monarchy as prison. The show explores what it means to be born into expectation—Wilhelm never chose to be Prince. Simon's refusal to be secret is principle, not drama. The themes are teen-drama staples handled with unusual sophistication and Swedish directness about bodies and feelings.
Narrative Drive (8/10)
Three seasons of escalating stakes: the romance, the exposure, the fallout, the choices. Each season has a clear arc; each episode ends with complication. The drive is romantic ("will they stay together?") and political ("will Wilhelm become King?"). Short seasons maintain momentum; the show knows when to end scenes.
Narrative Path & Resolution (8/10)
Complete in three seasons. The ending is earned: Wilhelm chooses love over duty, abdicating his claim. The resolution respects the characters' arcs and the show's themes. Teen drama with proper ending—an increasingly rare achievement. Satisfying without being simplistic.
Where to Watch
US: Netflix
UK: Netflix