How Netflix’s Young Royals Tackle Teen Issues Authentically

If you scroll through Netflix’s list of teen dramas, you might realize that many of the shows portray clichés and are exaggerated for dramatic effect. They do not feel genuine and often skip over important issues that teen audiences go through in their daily lives. This is certainly not the case for the Swedish Netflix drama Young Royals, which premiered in June 2021. Even though the show has a unique premise, it expertly and genuinely tackles a range of teen concerns, from LGBT relationships to disabilities to immigration and addiction. At a time when mental health is at an all time low due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the future seems uncertain for teens around the world, a show with authenticity is needed to help teen audiences feel like they are not alone – that they are being represented and their voices are being heard. 

Young Royals is about prince Wilhelm, who is forced to attend a strict boarding school after he causes trouble at a nightclub. He is put in the care of his cousin, August, who keeps an eye on him but has some trouble up his own sleeve. At the boarding school, Wilhelm encounters a diverse group of students from different backgrounds and falls in love with Simon. Simon is an outcast and the son of an immigrant mother who speaks a mix of Spanish and Swedish at home. His sister is autistic with neurodivergent tendencies and also treated as an outcast, but she gains the attention of popular girl Felice, who is mid-sized and half Black. Since Wilhelm is a prince, politics are involved in the plot, and there comes a point when he must choose between love and his duty. Young Royals does portray some tropes like the popular student paired with the outcast, but it is done tastefully without feeling like a cliché. It is also a coming out story and captures the young love between Wilhelm and Simon.

One reason why Young Royals feels so authentic in its storytelling and portrayal is because it doesn’t rely heavily on editing or makeup. More often than not in teen dramas actors play characters that are much younger than their own age. In Young Royals, teenagers are actually played by teenagers. In 99% of movies and TV shows we watch, characters have flawless skin and are always wearing makeup, even when they are about to curl up in bed. But this is not the case in Young Royals. The characters have flaws and imperfections – makeup is used minimally and we can see their acne and scars when the camera zooms in. This just makes the whole show seem more authentic as the characters do not look perfect – they are human beings just like us and are not put on a pedestal just because they are in a Netflix show. Similarly, Sara is actually played by an autistic actress. Young Royals shows real people in real situations, making it more relatable overall. In this way, it also sends a positive message to teen audiences as it does not depict unrealistic beauty standards that they may feel pressured to conform to. Young Royals teaches audiences that they can be comfortable in their own skin and be accepted for it.

All the main characters in Young Royals have their own complex and compelling arcs. They all have their own battles and struggles to overcome. As a prince, Wilhelm often feels like he is walking on eggshells around other people. It is clear that some people only pay attention to him because he has royal blood. He is attracted to Simon because Simon feels real to him and not “fake” like the others. Wilhelm deals with loneliness and grief when he loses a loved one. Meanwhile, Simon bears the burden of being an immigrant’s son, but he is not necessarily embarrassed by the fact. Simon has to deal with an alcoholic father and the pressures of fitting into a community that is not welcoming to him, until Wilhelm comes along. August is the perfect poster boy for his school and his family, but people do not realize that he is slowly crumbling under the pressure. He resorts to drugs and soon becomes addicted – to the extent that he seeks out Sara to ask for her medication. Sara and Felice form an unlikely bond that is on the cusp of becoming something more. Although Felice is popular and has lots of friends, she likes Sara and is genuinely interested in getting to know her better. All the characters have relatable storylines and it is hard for the audience to not get attached to them.

The love story in Young Royals is realistic and it truly feels like we are watching a love blossom naturally between the two main characters. There is no exaggerated gesture of love or unrealistic display of their affection,  Simon and Wilhelm simply fall in love with stolen glances and initially awkward conversations and interactions. This is realistic and true in the way that many young couples begin their love story. Their interactions are cute and catapulted their popularity on social media apps like Tumblr and TikTok – their chemistry bleeds through the screen and will have the audience rooting for them. However, their love story becomes complicated because Simon is openly gay and Wilhelm is still in the closet because of his commitment to the crown. 

Young Royals is definitely worth a watch for teenagers who may feel like they do not have a place in this world. With a compelling premise and complex characters, Young Royals is an underrated teen drama that is both fascinating and authentic in its depiction of teen issues.