A Christmas Prince Parent Guide

In the year since his father died, the highly ambivalent Prince Richard (Ben Lamb) of Aldovia has been travelling the world, providing tabloids with plenty of photos and questionable stories. The year-long interregnum expires on Christmas Eve and at that point, the Prince either has to accept the crown or see his self-absorbed cousin, Simon (Theo Devaney), become the new King of Aldovia.

Understandably, the royal turmoil is catnip for the press. Even in America, the media are fascinated by the intrigue and this gives Amber Moore (Rose McIver) the opportunity she’s been dreaming of. Stuck as a junior copy editor, Amber dreams of writing a meaty story – and is astonished and delighted to find herself assigned to the Aldovian saga.

Upon arriving in Aldovia, Amber is disappointed with the paucity of available information. Determined not to return home empty-handed, she sneaks into the palace, and starts snapping photos – until she’s stopped by a palace official. Luckily, he assumes that Amber is the soon-to-arrive American tutor for young Princess Emily (Honor Kneafsey) and Amber is willing to play along. Quickly installed in the palace, she has the opportunity for an up-close and personal look at the Prince and the Aldovian royal crisis. Much to her surprise, the facts are very different from the public perception…

A Christmas Prince is supposed to be a feel good story about a burned out prince who regains his sense of purpose thanks to the sincere goodness of a sweet American girl. Prince Richard is charmed by Amber’s genuine friendship for his disabled sister and he finds himself at ease with one of the few women who isn’t angling for his crown. This storyline would be more credible if their entire relationship weren’t based on a lie – Amber is not a tutor; she’s a reporter who’s violating both the royal family’s privacy and her journalistic ethics. Although Amber’s kindness is genuine, it’s impossible to forget that she is deceiving the prince and queen in every single interaction. For me, the dishonesty sucks all the fun out of the film and makes a lasting relationship difficult to imagine.

If you’re willing to overlook the nest of lies in the plot, the movie is fairly harmless – although it features the ugliest engagement ring I’ve ever laid eyes on. The big plus in the story comes in representation: Princess Emily is in a wheelchair and she’s no meek little “Tiny Tim” character, nor is she a vindictive psychopath. She’s just a tween who happens to be disabled: she’s bright and sneaky, malicious and thoughtful, kind and bossy. In fact, she might be the most interesting character in the film.

As for the rest of the content, it’s largely benign. There’s a little bit of minor social drinking and some kissing scenes shot with 360^o camera work. There’s no profanity, no erotica, and no violence. Basically, this movie is a sugar cookie: it’s sweet and pretty but too much of it isn’t good for you.