A Royal Queens Christmas

6.4/10 · 1,812 ratings20211h 24mChristmasWeirdness 8/10Bingo card

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The premise

A prince finds his way to Queens during Christmas when a local woman enlists his help with a children's Christmas show.

How unusual is it?

Very. Royalty, mistaken identity and Santa himself all turn up in one movie — the strangest 7% of everything we've logged.

Who’s in it

Behind the camera

Show

Wait, what?

The quirks and curveballs that make this one a little weirder than your average Hallmark. No spoilers, promise.

  • The Prince uses 'St. Bernard' as a fake surname, which Dee Dee accepts without question.
  • A high-ranking Prince sleeps on a random couch in Queens and shares a pillow with a Belgian Malinois dog.
  • The recurring 'bird and fish' metaphor for cross-class romance is treated with extreme narrative weight.
  • The Prince buys a used scooter from a random man on the street by trading his expensive luxury watch.

Every trope, all in one place

Here’s everything this one has going on, from the setting to the way it wraps up. Tap any of the 42 to find more movies that do the same thing.

Why we’d put this one on

Weirdness 8 and a royals-in-disguise tale with great texture. Megan Park is a former Army K-9 handler living in Queens whose family bakery delivery gets wrecked by Prince Colin (Julian Morris), who, to make amends, hides his royal identity and plays piano for her kids' choir. The specific touches are gold: the prince uses "St. Bernard" as a fake surname, sleeps on a random Queens couch sharing a pillow with a Belgian Malinois, and buys a used scooter off a stranger by trading his luxury watch. It is a fish-out-of-water charmer with real borough warmth. A fun pick for the incognito-prince crowd who like their fairy tales grounded.

How it all plays out

Already seen it, or just can’t wait? Open this up for the whole story, ending included.

Full story (spoilers)
The film begins in Queens, New York, where Dee Dee (Daphne Dolores Paretti) is helping her cousin Zoe at Rossi’s Bakery while struggling to find her post-Army career path. Meanwhile, Prince Colin of Exeter arrives in Manhattan for a prestigious international children's charity ball, though he prefers playing jazz piano in hotel lobbies to his royal duties. When Zoe lands a massive order for the charity ball, Dee Dee delivers the pastries to the hotel but is knocked over by Colin, who is rushing to a meeting. The pastries are ruined, and Colin, charmed by Dee Dee's bluntness and unaware of her identity, offers to do anything to make it up to her. Dee Dee recruits him to fill in for her father, Mickey, as the piano player for the 'Little Queens' children's choir fundraiser. Colin introduces himself simply as 'Colin St. Bernard' and begins spending time in Queens, even sleeping on the Parettis' couch when a snowstorm hits. He bonds with the family over Italian dinners and 'gravy,' while helping the choir find a new 'spark' by adding jazz flair to traditional carols. However, the secret of his identity looms large. His parents, King Sebastian and Queen Alexandra, arrive in New York early along with Duchess Adriana, whom they expect Colin to marry to secure the succession. The truth is revealed during a neighborhood Secret Santa event when the royals track Colin to Queens, leaving Dee Dee feeling betrayed by his lie. Despite the tension, Colin fulfills his promise to play at the Christmas pageant, where the children's performance is a massive success. In a private moment, Adriana confesses to Colin that she is also in love with someone else and doesn't want an arranged marriage. Inspired by Dee Dee’s independence, Colin confronts his parents. The King, moved by the public's positive reaction to Colin's 'prince of the people' persona, decides to delay his retirement and allow Colin to choose his own future. Colin rushes to the Queens block party, finds Dee Dee at the wishing tree, and declares his love, promising that they can make their 'bird and fish' romance work.

Beat by beat

  1. Opening

    Dee Dee and Prince Colin have a literal 'crash' meet-cute in a Manhattan hotel lobby, resulting in a box of destroyed pastries.

  2. Inciting incident

    Colin agrees to play piano for a children's choir in Queens to repay Dee Dee, using the alias 'Colin St. Bernard'.

  3. Midpoint

    Colin stays overnight at the Paretti household due to a snowstorm, experiencing a middle-class Italian-American Christmas for the first time.

  4. Turning Point

    The King and Queen of Exeter arrive in Queens and accidentally expose Colin's royal identity during a neighborhood Secret Santa.

  5. Climax

    Colin plays the piano for the children's pageant despite his parents' demands that he attend a royal briefing with Duchess Adriana.

  6. Resolution

    The King grants Colin the freedom to choose his own path; Colin returns to Queens to confess his feelings to Dee Dee at the wishing tree.

Did you know?

A few things that make this one stand out once you stack it up against every other Hallmark movie.

  • At a weirdness score of 8, it lands among the strangest 7% of Hallmark movies we've scored.

Top 7% weirdest

Out of every Hallmark movie we've scored, this one lands among the strangest 7%.

How it stacks up

Where this one’s rating lands against every other rated Hallmark movie.

Rating 6.4 vs every rated Hallmark moviemedian 6.4This movie · 6.4567

Higher-rated than 46% of every rated Hallmark movie. The median is 6.4.

Where this one fits

The corners of the catalog A Royal Queens Christmas belongs to — handy if you’re after more of the same.

Lines worth quoting

The lines that stuck with us — the ones you’ll be repeating after the credits roll.

  • “Follow me, fancy pants. We're goin' to Queens.”
    — Dee DeeDee Dee taking Colin to the choir rehearsal for the first time.
  • “It is gravy! ... Well, the gravy smells delicious.”
    — Mickey and ColinColin learning the Italian-American terminology for pasta sauce.
  • “I really liked being Colin and Dee Dee.”
    — Prince ColinColin apologizing for hiding his royal status.
  • “A bird and a fish can fall in love. Where are they gonna live?”
    — Dee DeeDee Dee explaining why a relationship between a commoner and a prince is impossible.

Meet the characters

Who’s who before you press play. Nothing here gives the ending away.

  • Dee Dee (Daphne Dolores Paretti)

    Lead

    Former Army K-9 Handler

    DisciplinedCommunity-orientedBluntProtective
  • Prince Colin

    Love interest

    Prince of Exeter / Pianist

    Love interest who hides his identity

    CharmingTalentedRebelliousKind-hearted
  • Whitbey

    Supporting

    Royal Assistant

    Colin's handler and confidant

    StressedLoyalDry-witted
  • Mickey Paretti

    Supporting

    Towing Company Owner

    Father

    BoisterousWelcomingPatriotic
  • Duchess Adriana

    Supporting

    Duchess

    Arranged marriage prospect and childhood friend

    ElegantUnderstandingSecretive

Questions people ask about A Royal Queens Christmas

Where can I watch A Royal Queens Christmas?

A Royal Queens Christmas is available via fuboTV, Philo, and Hallmark+ Amazon Channel. Streaming options change often, so check current availability before settling in.

How long is A Royal Queens Christmas?

A Royal Queens Christmas runs about 1 hour and 24 minutes, and was released in 2021.

Is A Royal Queens Christmas a Christmas movie?

Yes. A Royal Queens Christmas is a Hallmark Christmas movie, set during the holiday season.

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Data and sources

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Sources:IMDbTMDB