A Christmas Prince: The Royal Wedding

In the world of romantic holiday features, falling in love and getting engaged in less than 72 hours is normal.

This is no different in Netflix’ A Christmas Prince, originally released in 2017. The all-new sequel to the first film is not the first of cheesy holiday romances, and will certainly not be the last. Directed by Alex Zamm (Snow and Tooth Fairy 2), it features Rose McIver as Amber, and Ben Lamb as Prince Richard, both returning from their roles in the previous film.

The storyline is not that complicated, and even if you missed the first movie, you catch up pretty easily. The movie takes place a year after the first feature, with the palace making plans for Amber and Richard’s upcoming wedding on Christmas day. However, Amber soon realizes that by becoming royalty, her entire life belongs to other royals. As she begins to doubt her decision to marry the prince, other smaller plots take place. First, it is revealed that the kingdom of Aldovia is in a financial crisis. With unemployment on the rise in the public sector and government employees striking over unpaid wages, the relationship between royalty and the public grows disastrous. The Prince’s continued preparations for a lavish wedding only adds to the tension between the country’s people. Second, Emily, richard’s younger sister, makes an appearance in the sequel, planning a Christmas play for the wedding. Her play is put in jeopardy, but as that portion of the movie is very small, I won’t go into any more detail.

One point in the movie that got me confused however, was when we were introduced to Amber’s dad, Rudy, for the second time. In the first film, he is portrayed by Daniel Fathers. In the sequel, however, John Guerrasio was casted into the role. In The Christmas Prince, we meet Amber’s dad, who had a more fatherly role than in the sequel, offering encouragement and advice. John Guerrasio’s portrayal existed for comic relief, saying things like, “I went to ceasar’s Palace once.” While the two Rudys are very different, they do have a few things in common: they’re from Brooklyn, they own a diner, and both are obsessed with hot dogs.

Overall, the movie, much like the first, wasn’t a total waste of time. However, compared to other holiday movies, there are other choices I would rather watch.

Rose McIver does a good job acting out her role, with some very theatrical dramatics. Of course, Ben Lamb sells his part, too. And, like every other romance holiday film, everything works out in the end.

Cast:

Amber- Rose McIver

King Richard- Ben lamb

Queen Helena- Alice Krige

Princess Emily- Honor Kneafsey

Mrs. Averill- Sarah Douglas

Count Simon- Theo Devaney

Rudy- John Guerrasio

My Rating: B-

This is my first review, so thanks for reading. Please feel free to comment, give your opinion, and leave a like. I’ll always accept feedback.