What happened to Hillerska in the Young Royals finale? The fate of Simon and Wille's school, revisited

Hillerska Boarding School, the prestigious and fictional setting for Netflix's 2021 teen queer series Young Royals, is as central to the story as its main characters. The opulent campus, which has a history of training privileged teens, becomes the perfect meet-cute for the shy non-boarding student Simon (Omar Rudberg) and the Crown Prince of Sweden, Prince Wilhelm (Edvin Ryding).

While the Netflix show has hinted at the systematic abuse and social hierarchies propagated by Hillerska throughout the series, these allegations came to a head in Young Royals Season 3, when school inspectors arrived to decide the school's fate. Additionally, Wille makes a shocking discovery in the penultimate episode of the third season, after August reveals that his older brother Erik was a part of Hillerska's initiation, a ceremony for new students where they are subjected to a series of secret and hazing rituals that involve humiliation.

This shocking truth practically foreshadowed and sealed the fate of Hillerska and the school was permanently shut down in the Young Royals series finale. Much to the disappointment of the students, the school board decided to close the gates of the school due to its rigid and toxic social hierarchies and systematic abuse.

More on this in our story.

Hillerska was permanently shut down in the Young Royals finale

The Young Royals Season 3 finale was an intense hour in the Netflix teen drama. While Wille and Simon broke up in the penultimate episode of the final season, the fates of the Hillerska students were hanging in the balance. The final episode saw Wille, Felice, Sara and the other students attending a lecture outside the school premises, when their teacher was suddenly called in. The worried students learned that Hillerska was being permanently shut down, forcing them to move on from their prestigious but problematic school.

The shutting down of Hillerska in the Young Royals series finale was one of the defining moments for the students, who were forced to confront the systematic abuse, hazing scandals and its damaged reputation. While August’s friends held Wille (and his outspoken speech in season two) responsible for the school’s downfall, Felice makes it clear to Sara that the truth came from her. She was the one who exposed Hillerska’s corrupt inner workings, rigid social hierarchy, and deeply ingrained racism. The finale does not reveal if the board decided on Hillerska's fate after Felice's remarks but her bold move certainly had a hand in the school's fate.

It is quite fascinating that Young Royals chose Felice as the harbringer of chaos and tragedy to the school, when she was always established as the ideal, obedient and monarchy-obsessed poster girl for Hillerska since the debut season. However, her friendship with Sara forced her to confront the school's problems and she finally ditched her mean friends to take a trip with Sara, Wille and Simon in the end.

Hillerska's fate perfectly aligns with Wilhelm's decision

The Young Royals finale was packed with existing twists and turns, as the Hillerska students stood at the precipice of adulthood. After the authorities were forced to hold an early graduation, the series concluded on a positive note, where the teachers tell the students that they will appeal the school inspector's decision to close Hillerska. While this felt like a hopeful ending, the shutting down of the school was symbolic, which perfectly aligns with Wille's decision to step away from his 'duty' and choose Simon.

This pivotal decision in the Young Royals finale cemented the couple's hopeful future as they left to spend a beautiful summer with Sara and Felice. On the other hand, Hillerska students finally stepped away from the social hierarchies and expectations propagated by the school, ready to view the world through a new lens.

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