Red, White and Royal Blue is the queer transatlantic romance we’ve all been craving. Based on Casey McQuiston’s YA bestseller yhe story follows the public feud between Alex (Taylor Zakhar Perez), the son of the US President, and Britain’s Prince Henry (Nicholas Galitzine), second in line to the throne.
As their feud threatens to cause an international incident, urgent damage control comes with some unforeseen consequences. Forced to spend time together, the pair become close friends – and then much, much more.
Already number one on Prime Video, here’s everything you need to know about Red, White and Royal Blue...
What is Red, White and Royal Blue about?
Having met at the Melbourne Climate Conference, the tension existing between Prince Harry and Alex cannot be ignored. Next thing you know, the privileged prince and charismatic nepo baby have destroyed a £75k cake. After headline news ignites fears of a diplomatic incident, they’re forced to put aside their feud for the sake of peace.
It's a classic enemies-to-lovers tale, so we all know what happens next. As the pair become friends, things begin to spiral – and they start to fall in love.
How can I watch the full Red, White and Blue movie?
An Amazon exclusive, you’ll need a Prime Video subscription to stream the movie for free. If you’re not a Prime member, don’t worry – you can sign up for a free trial to make sure you still get your royal fix.
Who is in the cast of Red, White and Royal Blue?
Uma Thurman (Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill) star as Ellen Claremont, Alex’s mother and President of the United States. Blackadder’s Stephen Fry appears as King James III, the old-fashion British monarch and Prince Henry’s grandfather.
The film also stars Rachel Hilson (The Good Wife) as Alex’s close friend Nora, Ellie Bamber (BBC’s Les Miserables) as Princess Beatrice, and Sarah Shahi (Sex/Life) as White House Deputy Chief of Staff Zahra Bankston.
Meanwhile, the two romantic leads are played by Taylor Zakhar Perez and Nicholas Galitzine, who director Matthew Lopez said had an ‘instant connection’ when doing a chemistry read over Zoom.
Taylor Zachar Perez
Taylor appears as the charismatic Alex Claremont-Diaz, the son of the first female President of the United States.
The 31-year-old is best known among YA circles for his role as Marco in the second and third instalments of Netflix’s The Kissing Booth, whilst also appearing in episodes of Cruel Intentions and Scandal.
Nicholas Galitzine
Nicholas stars as Prince Henry, the British royal who finds himself battling through who he really is.
This isn’t the 28 year old’s first big film, with previous credits including Handsome Devil, 2021’s Cinderella, Netflix drama Purple Hearts, and Netflix drama Chambers. He’ll also be starring opposite Julia Moore in the upcoming historical drama, Mary & George.
How is Red, White and Royal Blue different to the book?
A beloved novel in the world of BookTok, the film stays pretty true to the story – with author Casey McQuiston even having a brief cameo. But there are a few ways that the film differs…
From the very start, the film adaptation is missing some major characters, one of the them being Alex’s big sister, June Claremont-Diaz. Instead, the film version sees the Vice President’s daughter Nora Holleran (Rachel Hilson) take on some of June’s roles.
But notably, the film makes no mention of Nora and Henry’s romantic history. In the book, the pair were said to have dated before deciding they were better off as friends. In the film, it’s Alex’s New Year’s Eve kiss with two unnamed women that leaves Henry upset. In the book, it’s actually a smooch with Nora.
If you read the books, you’ll also be aware that the film has replaced Queen Mary with King James III (most likely in an attempt to avoid any comparisons to the late Queen Elizabeth.)
And in the novel, much of the plot is spurred on by Rafael Luna, an openly gay Latino senator from Colorado who Alex views as a mentor. Rafael plays a key part in the book’s version of the 2020 election, supporting a Republican Senator and betraying Alex’s family. Instead, the film created scheming journalist Miguel to fill any plot holes caused by Rafael's disappearance.
*SPOILER ALERT* How does Red, White and Royal Blue end?
Spoiler Alert: If you haven’t watched the film and don’t want any spoilers, go ahead and scroll down to the cast. On the other hand, if you skipped all the way to the ending (just like we did) and need some help with the details, then let’s discuss.
After Henry and Alex repair their relationship and vow to stay together, it seems like everything is finally going smooth – that is, until their private emails are leaked to the press. With Alex now back in America, the pair are banned by their teams from talking to each other.
Luckily, the pair aren’t kept apart for too long. With the help of their aides and some secret phones, the lovers finally get to chat – with Alex revealing he’s coming to London. Once there, they sit down with King James III (Stephen Fry) for a make or break meeting.
The monarch says that, whilst he doesn’t doubt the duo are in love, that Henry’s duty is ‘not to [his] heart, but to [his] country,’ and that he must maintain a ‘traditional royal image.’ When Alex and Henry as why, they’re told that the British people will never accept a ‘homosexual’ prince. In the most perfect timing ever, an aide enters the room to inform the King of the commotion taking place outside the palace and across the UK – a parade that’s adorned with rainbow pride flags.
Defying his grandfather, Henry tells King James – and the world – that he’s no longer hiding himself, or his love for Alex, out of shame. The final scene of this film sees Alex and Henry’s happy ending back at Alex’s family home in Texas, together and in love.
Plus, don’t forget to hang around for the post-credits scene. A short and sweet clip will show a bonus scene of the pair lying on the floor after knocking over the wedding cake.
Where can I watch the trailer?
If you need any more convincing to pop this film on tonight, you can watch the trailer here: