The popular Swedish Netflix series “Young Royals” has come to an end. The third and final season premiered on March 11, while the series finale aired on March 18. Production of the season ran from April to June 2023, and the season consists of six episodes.
This season starts right after the season 2 finale cliffhanger. You know, the one where Wilhelm decides to tell the world on live television that he is dating Simon and that they were the ones that had the tape leaked on the internet? August, Wilhelm’s cousin, who had filmed them being intimate, is signing a financial settlement to pay the couple for what he had done. The audience then finds out that the Queen is sick, but it is not discussed anymore until later episodes. Wilhelm, being the crown prince of Sweden, wants to have a normal relationship with Simon, but the monarchy wants to use them to modernize their picture. Of course, the monarchy wants to use innocent couples. I can hear the eyes roll from the characters on the screen thinking the same thing as me.
Meanwhile, the other students are preparing for an event they call the “50 Days” party, which is not explained in much detail since it gets canceled like the same episode. Sara and Felice are still fighting from the events of the final moments of season 2, where Felice found out that Sara had been secretly dating August even though she knew that he was the one that leaked the video of Simon, Sara’s brother. I still do not understand why she was with him. There is nothing appealing about August. He has a huge ego, is a total jerk, and is leaking videos of minors like I would have said no thanks. I’m good to her, if that was all I was saying. One of the biggest plot points of the season is revealed in the first episode, where a newspaper article alleges a history of bullying at the school. The new headteacher cancels all the events for the rest of the year and imposes a curfew on the students in response to the allegations. I mean, let’s just say a power move on her part because the students were just running around like crazy in the middle of the night going to parties and leaking intimate videos of each other when they were only 15, 16, and 17 years old. They needed to be stopped.
The annual camping trip is the only event that is not canceled due to the allegations. Simon’s friends join the students of Hillerska on the camping trip, where some of the girl students make some insensitive and hurtful comments. Wilhelm’s bodyguards stop the whole group from having any more fun because the monarchy does not want him filmed. Simon also posts a song on social media after Wilhelm asks him not to.
The Queen takes a leave of absence for depression. She should have been able to take a leave of absence when her oldest son died, but we all know how the monarchy works by now. After posting his song on social media, Simon begins to be harassed and, at the same time, is being harassed by the paparazzi with Wilhelm. Does anyone in this show know the meaning of privacy?
After Simon is shown to be at a political demonstration, Wilhelm and him argue over the monarchy and the rights of the people, especially gay rights. The students organize a sit-in so that they can get their phones back after they were confiscated over the allegations. Wilhelm finds out that his late brother was responsible for the hazing incident. Why am I not surprised that his brother was part of a hazing ritual? That man had some dark secrets that people did not know about, for sure.
On Wilhelm’s birthday, he decides to confront his parents about them not being there for him. He tells them that he does not want to be king, and of course they do not believe him. Simon then breaks up with him after his outburst with his parents.
In the series finale, as everyone is figuring out where they are going during the summer, the students find out that the school will be closing indefinitely. August officially apologizes to Wilhelm for his past actions. Wilhelm’s mother then apologizes on August’s graduation day for the way that she treated her son. This family is full of apologies for this episode. Finally, he tells his parents that he does not want to be the king, and they believe him. So he races to Simon, and they make up and get back together.
Overall, it was a pretty good finale season of the show. I liked how they kept the story going, and audiences did not know if the school was going to close or not. But it also focused on the story of Wilhelm and Simon and the aftermath of the season 2 finale. The season deserves 3 out of 5 stars.
