Why Young Royals Fans Can't Get Enough Of Simon

The Netflix series "Young Royals" might be chock-full of teens who hail from elite, upper-class families, but fans of the show aren't impressed by their status. Rather, they have a fondness for Simon (Omar Rudberg), who couldn't be more different from his peers at Hillerska Boarding School. While Prince Wilhelm (Edvin Ryding), his cousin August (Malte Gårdinger), and many of the other well-off students reside at the school itself, Simon and his sister Sara (Frida Argento) come in on the bus. And in general, Simon doesn't have the easiest life. He lives with his single mother Linda (Carmen Gloria Pérez) and has a strained relationship with his father, Micke (Leonard Terfelt), who is known for his willingness to buy alcohol for the underage school kids. 

Still, Simon doesn't let his circumstances deter him from living as his true self. He shows off his vocal chops in the Hillerska school choir, doesn't shy away from eating at the same table as Wilhelm and August, and is relatively open with his family about the fact that he is gay. He is also kindhearted, which is on display thanks to his protective relationship with his sister.

However, fans of "Young Royals" can't get enough of Simon for another reason, one that has to do with how he handles his rollercoaster romance with Wilhelm.

When Prince Wilhelm is forced to attend Hillerska after getting into a fight, he feels angry and lost in this new environment. Yet, when Wilhelm and Simon lock eyes during the young royal's initiation party, there's an instant attraction. Throughout the premiere season of "Young Royals," Wilhelm's feelings toward Simon vary. One moment, he's enjoying their first kiss, and the next, he's telling Simon to forget it happened. There's pressure on Wilhelm to uphold a certain image, but Simon couldn't care less.

On Reddit, u/LBtotheMax praised Simon for understanding his worth. This user said, "I love how Simon never felt any less important than his partner just because Wilhelm was a prince. He understood Wilhelm's obligations, but didn't find himself saying, 'Well, if it's for the monarch,' or the, 'I'm just a simple commoner' ..." Similarly,  u/Ok_Pattern_8072 enjoyed how, after Wilhelm told Simon to forget about their kiss, the latter didn't pine after the prince. "That's why Simon for me is the best LGBT character in fiction to date ... he immediately removed himself from the toxic relation of giving the closeted guy the attention they crave but can't reciprocate," they wrote.

Many fans also appreciated that the show doesn't turn the fact that Simon is gay into a source of hardship and tragedy. For example, when he visits his father to ask for booze, Micke assumes his son is trying to impress a girl, and Simon responds by casually reminding Micke that he's gay. As u/rocinante1173 wrote, "He just likes guys and that's it."