A Royal Christmas

                When I first saw the commercial for A Royal Christmas on the Hallmark Channel, I mistook it for something else completely.  I thought it was going to be yet another take-off on Prince William’s and Duchess Kate’s story.  When I saw the starring actress, I thought she was the same person who starred in a movie I don’t particularly like.  I was wrong on both fronts.  This is what happens when I watch commercials out of the corner of my eye and while doing something else at the same time.  While the movie is about a royal and a commoner, it is not Kate’s and Williams’ story.  Also the lead actress is Lacey Chabert, who I really like and watch a lot of her movies.  Once I found out she was in it (thanks to my mother) I decided to watch, and I’ve been looking for repeat airings ever since.          

                Emily (Lacey Chabert) and Leo (Stephen Hagan) have been dating for awhile and everything is going very well.  They love each other and enjoy spending time together.  It doesn’t seem like there is too much that could come between them; except for the fact that Leo is actually a prince and hasn’t told Emily yet.  That may cause a problem.

                Surprisingly, at first, Leo’s royal status does not cause a problem between the two.  Of course Emily is surprised when Leo reveals this to her, but she doesn’t make it a huge deal.  She agrees to go home with Leo for Christmas to see what his royal life is like and to meet his mother, the queen.

                I’m not sure what Emily and Leo expected their reception would be when they went to the palace, but they probably didn’t expect it to be as cold as it was.  Queen Isadora (Jane Seymour) is not happy to see Emily.  She’s had Leo’s life planned since his birth.  When Leo returned from studying in America (which she didn’t want him doing in the first place), he was supposed to marry a woman of her choosing.  Someone she, as the queen, deemed appropriate.  A duchess.  The Duchess Natasha (Katherine Flynn), to be exact.  Certainly Leo was not supposed to have any romantic intentions towards a commoner.

                Even though Emily can sense Isadora is not thrilled to have her as a guest, she does her best to make the visit as pleasant as possible.  When Isadora doesn’t include Emily in the activities and events that are planned for Leo, but somehow often include Natasha, Emily finds other things to take up her time.  She becomes friends with the staff and visits them in their quarters.  Emily also goes about the village with the Baroness Galina (Kate Loustau) who understands all too well what it’s like to try and fit into a royal family.  While in the village, Emily helps an orphanage make items to sell in their fundraiser.  Everything Emily does makes Leo love her more; and makes Isadora more determined to get rid of her.

                Isadora thinks she’ll finally be able to eliminate Emily from Leo’s life during their annual Christmas ball.  She gives Emily a horrible dress to wear and knows Emily does not have the proper etiquette expected at one of these events.  Emily, however, is very resourceful.  An aspiring fashion designer, Emily changes the dress into something beautiful.  She also asks the head of the staff, Victor (Simon Dutton), to teach her the proper ways of doing things, including how to waltz.  When Emily arrives at the ball, everyone is surprised at how well she can play the part of a royal.  The only one upset by this is Isadora.  Even Natasha isn’t distressed too badly as she is starting to see that maybe she and Leo aren’t truly meant to be.  Isadora will have none of this.  She figures out how to finally get rid of Emily by firing some of Emily’s friends and making it blatantly clear that Emily will never be welcomed into her family.

                After the confrontation, Emily decides to leave.  She knows the only way there is even a possibility for her to belong is to change who she is.  Since she likes who she is, Emily is not willing to do that.  Her only choice is to go back to America and leave Leo behind.  Leo tries to stop her.  He proposes but Emily turns him down.  Then Leo offers to renounce his throne, but Emily will not let him do that.  She will not let him sacrifice what is rightfully his.  It is best for her to give Isadora what she wants and to return home.  While Isadora is happy to have gotten her way about Emily, the part that she didn’t plan for was that she was also going to lose her son.

                  There was something different about both the Leo and Emily characters in the movie.  Usually when there is a disapproving parent who tries to separate their child from the “unworthy one”, the child goes right along with it.  They don’t tell their parent they’re being inappropriate or to cut out their behavior.  Leo does this.  He stands up for Emily.  It was really refreshing to see because I am awfully tired of the doormats who go along with the disapproving parent and never considers what it does to their significant other.  Emily was also different in the fact that she stayed true to herself.  Yes, she did try to learn the proper ways, but who she was as a person did not change.  Nor was she asking anyone to change for her.  Usually in movies someone has to change who they are drastically or give up on a dream in order to make the relationship work.  This time it didn’t have to be that way.  Only the one truly causing the problem had to change her frame of mind.  The others could remain who they were.   

                As with The Nine Lives of Christmas I don’t really consider A Royal Christmas a Christmas movie.  Yes, there was a Christmas ball and Christmas trees, but the point wasn’t about celebrating or getting ready for Christmas.  I find I like these types of “Christmas movies” better.  It doesn’t feel weird if I want to watch it in April.  Instead I can watch and enjoy no matter what the season is outside, as long as the snow on the screen doesn’t tempt snow to fall on the ground.  If that happens, then these films will have to go back to December.