#privilege young royals

[raincitygirl76]

Omar Rudberg is a very attractive young man. So I find it hilarious (though somewhat sobering) that nobody at Hillerska seems to notice Simon is gorgeous. All because he’s a lowly non-resident (and a socialist to boot, who refuses to act grateful to be allowed around his social betters), they pretend Simon’s looks are nothing out of the common way. It shows the pressure of class solidarity.

Makes me wonder, though, how many Hillerska boarders secretly have crushes on Simon. Because, you know, they have eyes, even if they don’t dare admit it to their friends because it would be social suicide. Are there girls in Simon’s classes who wistfully sigh over how aesthetically appealing he is? Or fellow choristers who covertly watch him sing when they’re supposed to be watching the music teacher and/or reading their scores?

I wonder how many girls quietly cried themselves to sleep right after the video came out. And told their curious roommates they were crying because apparently the Crown Prince is unattainable. But really they were crying because apparently Simon Eriksson is gay. And therefore definitely off the market, if those girls ever got up the guts to cross class lines and acknowledge how crush worthy he is.

P.S.

Incidentally, I don’t think Simon intentionally went back in the closet when he moved to Hillerska. It’s just we know from 1.01 that hardly anyone has spoken to him since the start of the school year. It’s kind of tough to come out to people who are pretending you don’t exist and won’t talk to you.

And then Wilhelm arrived, and was obviously interested but extremely closeted himself. So Simon had a large incentive not to arouse the suspicions of their Hillerska school mates by coming out himself. I don’t think Simon was hiding in S1 so much as just not choosing to actively bring it up. I’m pretty damn sure if someone had asked him flat out, he would’ve said he’s gay. But nobody did ask, so he and Wilhelm could continue to fly under the radar as close platonic friends.

We can also infer from Saran’s comment in 1.03 “Why are you sneaking around?” That at Marieberg, Simon was out and proud. But he wasn’t a pariah at Marieberg. People actually talked to him there. And he wasn’t deeply in love with a closeted guy at Marieberg.

It could also be another reason (as if Simon needed another) that Simon feels so betrayed by Wilhelm denying the video in 1.06. Simon has already compromised his principles for Wilhelm even before the video, by making allowances for Wilhelm’s closeted status and sneaking around secretively. And Wilhelm repaid Simon having previously compromised his principles by abandoning him altogether.

It’s one thing to let people assume you’re platonic friends and not actively correct them. It’s a whole other ballgame for Wilhelm to actively lie to the press and the entire world. Assertively affirming his (nonexistent) heterosexuality and his single status.

[myyoungroyalsblog]

Every time Simon learns Wilhelm isn't fully free as The Crown Prince👑

He isn't allowed to have tattoos or have shorter hair, or even a hair style that he likes for that matter, he has to keep a well kempt appearance

There will always be eyes on him and comments made online and in real life, both from fans and people who hate him/the monarchy, so as a result people who are close to him will likely get hurt as well

He can't stand up and show support for things like mental health and the queer community, since that's always been considered a "political statement" (but like Simon says, this is about human rights, it shouldn't be fucking political, but sadly it is)

He could be assassinated at any point, even by poisoning

He can't be himself in the public eye, much like how he can't show support on certain matters, he has to hide himself and pretend to be someone else, or pretend that he's okay when he's not, he has to be Crown Prince first and Wilhelm second

[dusty-daydreams]

The thing about Hillerska shutting down though, is that it will only really hurt Simon and Sara. Everyone else attending can and will be transferred to equally privileged schools. Sure it would be disruptive to the third years about to graduate, but chances are (realistically) a shut down wouldn’t happen until after the school year was finished.

Simon and Sara don’t have those resources, Hillerska shutting down means that they go back to their local high school, where Sara was so severely bullied she fell behind a year in school.

I understand the symbolism behind it in the show, Hillerska is privilege epitomised, and if they are going the tear it all down shutting down the school is a clear symbol of that in the narrative.

But Hillerska isn’t the class system, it’s just an outgrowth of it. Shutting down the school would just be another act that disproportionally impacts it’s poorest students.

[cabeswatersedge]

Thinking more about something Lisa said in the documentary, about Wille realizing he can’t both be a Prince and be with Simon:

So August never really became like a complete good guy. We got some more of his backstory to explain him, and I think he definitely grew as a person. But in episode 5 we see Vincent do that microagression against the other student (when they’re talking about the seniors superlatives) and August doesn’t stop it or call it out. August hasn’t become like a great guy, just a better guy than he used to be. He fixed some problems with Hillerska by changing the hazing ritual, but he isn’t suddenly fighting for social equality or whatever. Like he didn’t get rid of the hazing just adapted it. And that’s how it’s supposed to be. August doesn’t need to be a great person to be a great Prince. Because the Royal family’s job isn’t to be leaders or rally for change, their job is to uphold tradition.

Wille’s journey was never about learning to become a better Crown Prince and revolutionize the monarchy or upend the system. His journey was to realize that he could only grow and become who he wants to be by leaving the system entirely.

[heartbreakprincewille]

I was just thinking about how Erik's death, although very tragic, was important for many plot-related reasons. Not only to Wilhelm's character and Wilhelm and Simon's dynamic, but also because Erik was the Crown Prince everyone wanted.

If Erik would have been alive and became the King, I highly doubt that it would have brought any sort of conflict to the table. He was described as a "perfect" royal by almost everyone (despite S2 giving us insight about him struggling as well). The traditions would have went on as usual, the lies and secrets and toxic high-society solidarity finding a safe abode under Kristina and then Erik's succession. Even if Wille and Simon would have been together, it wouldn't have been much of a deal, Wilhelm was a spare after all, right? Erik was carved straight out of the image the Royal Court wanted him to be, but in reality it would just have been private therapy sessions and secret realizations about your surroundings but too "duty-bound" to act on them.

But Wilhelm is the Crown Prince everyone needs. Even if they don't realize it. Everyone in that damn school and even the Royals need a severe reality check. I agree, everyone is entitled to their worldview and it's not wrong to harbour a certain belief, but they need to realize how stifling they are. They made Wilhelm deny the video even though saying nothing about it was the right option! And then proceeded to offer the throne to the same person who filmed and uploaded that video. How infuriating is that? You are offering power to a person who can commit literal crimes as soon as its intoxication seizes his brain? Just because the current Crown Prince is non-conforming to your toxic systems and would potentially not bear future heirs? DO YOU GUYS EVEN HAVE MORALS?

I actually hope Wilhelm and Simon's relationship rock the foundations of Hillerska and the Royalty's beliefs. I hope Wilhelm's speech make them introspect what is right and what is not. Everyone needs some sort of discomfort in their worldview to grow, and I really hope Wilhelm and Simon's unabashed love makes everyone's centuries-old solidarity with stoic traditions twist and turn in its grave. I hope Wilhelm's growth as a person becomes so tangible that people like Nils and Stella are never afraid to be loudly themselves if they want to.

RIP Erik, you would have been an absolutely charming King. But trust me, your brother is here to start a revolution.

[simons-no1-defender]

I don’t think I’ve ever cringed as hard in young royals as I did when wilhelm tried to say that him going to crown prince school was “just like” rosh and her job i fully contemplated jumping out the window

[shimmerluna]

really it's not that Wille needs to abdicate for him and Simon to be together, it's that he needs to check his privilege and start actually listening to Simon when it comes to things like that. Abdication isn't going to make him less of a privileged brat unless he stops viewing Simon acknowledging their huge wage gap and the downsides of the monarchy as personal attacks and actually becomes open to learning things

[casually-slips-into-coma]

inside you there are 2 wolves. one hates rich privileged white people. the other wants to see gay people happy and in love

((((((((((this is about prince wilhelm specifically)))))))))

[fredtheengels]

i’m not here to do discourse but king wilhelm truthers are the funniest people how do you misread a show that badly

[nope-nora]

august is such a good compelling villain especially for this series because he makes a few terrible mistakes and tends to make matters worse in a lot of cases by overcorrecting and just not being able to correctly handle situations due to a lack of experience. and you also know he clearly has his own internal issues and a weird relationship with authority figures and cares for his friends very deeply. he’s a very teenage villain in every sense.

[antigorite]

Insane how they essentially foreshadowed the ending in the first 4 minutes of the first episode

[thee-problem-child]

Felice: *discussing the differences she has to go through as a black girl attending a predominantly white school*

“Felice you are really really beautiful”

black people everywhere:

[chloeseyeliner]

the fact that i don't have a problem with you being gay, i have a problem with you being a communist! is the most vincent thing for vincent to say-

please, tell me this happened and i didn't imagine it-

[loneswaggingranger]

YR season 3 has me by chokehold because like,,, my heart,,, cannot take all of this emotion???? (Spoilers below! My thoughts are hella jumbled so beware!)

They do a very good job of showing where everyone comes from and why they are the way they are. It doesn't excuse August or Sara for what they did wrong – no, but it gives context and shows that there is always a way forward. To move on. To forgive yourself and atone for what you did. It shows how marginalised groups exist even within a relatively privileged social circle. Felice's experiences may never be fully understood by her friend group because they just... aren't capable of understanding what it feels like to be at the receiving end of prejudice. It really speaks to so many marginalised experiences that aren't so dissimilar, though it may be different from person to person.

But what I also really like is how people with privilege can be touched by those without. How love crosses all those borders and brings out the person inside. How Sara touched August, made him see what he did wring, made him see how much of a person he can be. How Simon can get Wilheim to see how much privilege he has – though Wille has a habit of blowing up at the people he loves most when he feels attacked or cornered. The kid definitely needs therapy, but what can you do when you're barely 16? When you're charged with the entirety of your family image which, if marred, could offend the whole country? When your parents play the role of figureheads more than a guardian? And on top of all of that, you're in a school environment that is definitely borderline toxic. Again, Wille is the way he is because of his upbringing, his circumstance – he needed (still needs) guardians who could have nurtured him emotionally as much as socially.

Personally, I would have loved to watch more mediation sessions between August and Wilheim because their dynamic is seriously on point. But everything in this season is so well-crafted and heartfelt that I can’t find more fault other than: I want more🥺🥺🥺

[Finale on monday don't kill me challenge 🥹✨️🔪]

ps: thank you to gifmakers! Y'all work at godspeed ✨️✨️✨️

[heartbreakprincewille]

Thinking about how Wilhelm says to Kristina that he won't give the speech if Simon won't perform his song at the Jubilee. Thinking about how Simon posted Wille's Song for the world to see and Wilhelm parrots Erik's words to him. Thinking about "so you can show solidarity only when it doesn't cost you anything?"

[simons-no1-defender]

Lisa sat down at the writer’s room and said “we making them UNCOMFORTABLE” and she meant it.