The Exact Moment Fans Think Wilhelm Fell For Simon In Young Royals
In Season 1 of Netflix's teen drama "Young Royals," Swedish Prince Wilhelm (Edvin Ryding) embarks on a rollercoaster of a relationship with his Hillerska boarding school peer Simon (Omar Rudberg). Although Wilhelm has strong feelings for Simon, a number of obstacles stand in their way. Not only is Simon not royalty, but Wilhelm believes he'll face the wrath of both the public and his family – especially second cousin and Hillerska student August (Malte Gårdinger) — if they knew he was dating another boy. Wilhelm attempts to cut things off with Simon on numerous occasions, but his efforts are half-hearted.
The big question is, how and when exactly did Wilhelm fall for Simon? There are few possibilities. Wilhelm first lays eyes on Simon during a school assembly, which sees the latter showing off his angelic vocals during a school choir solo. Wilhelm certainly takes notice of him, but then again, so does the entire auditorium. Another option could be in class, when Simon, who comes from lesser means, provides a fiery opinion on tax evasion and welfare, calling out the rich for cheating and getting away with it. However, this isn't exactly romantic.
Many fans of "Young Royals" agree that there's another, more intimate moment shared between the two that officially marks the start of Wilhelm's feelings for Simon, and possibly vice versa.
Fans think Wilhelm fell for Simon at his initiation party
The premiere episode of "Young Royals" shows August throwing a welcome party for Wilhelm. Simon is permitted to attend with his sister Sara (Frida Argento) on one condition — they bring alcohol. When the siblings walk in, Wilhelm pauses mid-drink to look intently at the new arrivals (well, one of them) as August obliviously jabbers away next to him. Simon catches and returns his gaze, making for a brief, yet electric, moment.
On Reddit, u/Ok_Pattern8072 said, "In case there is any doubt as to when Wilhelm fell for Simon just look at how he stared at him in the party. He wants him from the very beginning! He wasn't even listening to August lol." A number of fans were in agreement, including u/ryanvi97, who said, "That stare really screams love."
Some felt the lighting of the party and positioning of the characters were intentional to make the scene feel even more charged. Redditor u/LeahBean pointed out how Simon's head is perfectly positioned in a circle of glow sticks hanging on the wall behind him, making him look almost angelic. This user said, "I feel like it was a conscious decision by the writers because it reflects how Wilhelm sees Simon."
Whether or not this moment was the one that ignited a spark in Wilhelm, one thing is for sure: the party brings them closer together. The alcohol gives Wilhelm the courage to invite Simon to hang outside, which in turn leads to the pair attending sports events, secretly holding hands at movie night, and sharing their first kiss.