Netflix’s Young Royals: Main Characters, Ranked By Likability

Netflix’s Young Royals is loaded with likable young lead characters. The binge-worthy historical fiction series follows Prince Wilhelm of Sweden (Edvin Ryding) as he navigates his life as a regal leader in training while dealing with the ups and downs of high school adolescence. Along with his cousin August (Malte Gårdinger), romantic interest Simon (Omar Rudberg), and several friends from his new boarding school, Wille comes of age while learning profound life lessons that will shape him as the next Crown Prince.

Whether it’s their inherent personality, moral compass, kind treatment of others, relatable internal conflicts, redemptive arcs, and the like, many qualities can make a character likable. Young Royals has no shortage of such characters.

10 Queen Kristina

From the very first episode of the LGBTQ+ coming-of-age story, Wille’s stern mother, Queen Kristina (Pernilla August), is presented as a ruthless disciplinarian who opposes the young prince’s wishes. She immediately arranges to send him to the Hillerska Boarding School after he gets in a fight, making her the least likable character from the jump.

While Kristina does show tender moments to her son, her love of the throne seems to eclipse her feeling for Willie’s well-being. She slaps his hand down when he anxiously bites his nails, setting her up from the beginning as a tyrannical overlord.

9 August

Brash, cocky, and full of himself, August of Arnas is Wille’s moderately likable second-cousin. As Hillerska’s popular rowing team captain, August often looks down on others and thinks he is far superior to most. While his body issues, drug problems, and father’s suicide makes him more sympathetic, August’s treatment of Wille and Simon hinders his likability.

August secretly recorded footage of Wille and Simon spending the night together, which later gets leaked and causes all sorts of problems for both. As the main familial antagonist, August is pretty reprehensible.

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8 Anette

While she’s a tinge friendlier than Kristina, Anette (Ingela Olsson) suffers from the same authoritative stigma as the Queen. As the superior Hillerska’s boarding school headmistress, Anette rules her school with an iron fist and often clashes with students for their unruly behavior. As such, the characters don’t always enjoy her presence.

Even so, Anette is more than capable of being cordial, professional, and respectful of her students for them to not outright hate her. While she appears in all six episodes, Annette is one of the minor main characters who often shows up in passing, and thus needs more time to bolster her likability.

7 Linda

While Sara wished she had divorced her drug-addled father sooner, Linda (Carmen Gloria Perez) is one of the nicest and most caring main characters on the show. Although she doesn’t have a ton of screentime, she’s usually seen with a bubbly smile on her face and is always there when Simon and Sara need her helpful advice.

Linda’s status as a hard-working, single mother who emigrated from Latin America makes her all the more likable, as she’s overcome a life of hardship to provide a better life for her children than she enjoyed growing up.

6 Madison

Madison (Nathalie Varli) is an exchange student from New York who shares a room with Felice at Hillerska. While blunt to a fault, Madison is a friendly character who often gives sage advice to her classmates. However, it’s her quirky penchant for palm-reading and spiritual energy cleansing that makes her so likable.

Madison’s unique personality makes her a likable standout, even if she spends much of her time expressing her disdain for the male characters on the show. Her refreshing honesty is a huge part of her appeal.

5 Erik

As Willie’s big brother and the reigning Crown Prince of Sweden, Erik (Ivar Forsling) is likable for a few reasons. First, the way in which he compassionately and sensitively supports Willie’s relationship with Simon is as heartening as can be. He allows his little brother to be who is without judgment.

Moreover, Erik’s sudden demise in a car accident at the midway point of the series conjures even more loving sympathy for the character. Given his sweet-natured kinship with Willie, his death marks the biggest dramatic shakeup of the season and hurts twice as much as a result.

4 Felice

Felice (Nikita Uggla) has known Wille since preschool and has since become one of Sara’s best friends. Always with a benevolent vibe and heart-warming smile, Felice is an extremely well-liked and admired Hillerska student. Felice is introduced in a church choir, underscoring her saintly behavior.

Even as a member of the modern nobility, Felice rarely betrays or relies on her royal status and is often depicted as a down-to-earth character who genuinely wants what is best for everybody.

3 Sara

As Simon’s intelligent, ultra-loving sister who goes out of her way to protect him at all costs, Sara (Frida Argento) is among the three most likable characters on Young Royals. Her social awkwardness and inability to read certain cues at times only add to her sympathetic relatability.

Diagnosed as autistic with ADHD, Sara never lets this define who she is. She forms loving bonds with Simon and Felice, shows an affinity for horses, sketching, and drinking, all of which make her a fully rounded character to genuinely care and root for.

2 Simon

Kind, gregarious, understanding, and strong-willed, Simon is the second-most likable Young Royals character. Heroic to a fault, which his sister Sara often berates him for, Simon’s chief priority is helping others and giving them a second chance, including his father.

After meeting Wille while singing choir in the first episode, the two become fast friends and romantic partners. Over time, Simon becomes the only person Wille can trust, which strengthens their intimate bond and makes Simon even more admirable. Moreover, his touching relationship with Sara, both of whom are non-boarding students who hail from modest backgrounds, gives Simon an extra lovable layer in the coming-of-age romantic drama.

1 Prince Wilhelm

As the main protagonist on Young Royals, it’s no surprise that Prince Wilhelm is the most likable character. The dramatic crux of all six episodes revolve around his happiness and success as an angsty adolescent in line for the throne of Sweden, yet none of it would work if the character weren’t so compelling.

Wille’s likable nature comes from his conflicting personality. Despite being withdrawn and often beset with severe anxiety, he is also extremely kindhearted and often gives giant bear hugs to his closest loved ones. His heartfelt struggle to come out of the closet and later live up to his fallen brother Erik’s image conjures even more empathy from viewers.

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