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A Royal Christmas is a glossy piece of holiday fluff. It's Christmas and who doesn't like a well put together, seasonal movie. Well to start with, some of the critics don't. But we always look for that next classic Christmas movie to go along with Miracle on Thirty-Fourth St., Alistair Sims' or George C. Scott's Scrooge, The Bishop's Wife, Christmas in Connecticut, The Holly and the Ivy and a few more recent ones that come close to being in the classics range like Home Alone or The Santa Clause. Of course, the great ones don't come along every year.

As for this one, I really did take to the leading characters and actors in the movie, with longtime movie stalwart Jayne Seymour as the Queen, adding icing and some icy behaviour to this Christmas cake of a movie. She was impressive in her role as the mother from hell combined with her other role as an elegant and charming Queen of a fantasy land that reminds us of Monaco or Liechtenstein. Lacey Chabert, as the fun-loving seamstress/designer, is a girl with talent and personality who charms the Queen's son and the palace staff (if not the guards) and Stephen Hagan as Leopold James, the Prince Charming who certainly filled the bill as the tall, well-tailored prince madly in love with the girl of his dreams. Katharine Flynn as the wannabe bride, the Duchess of Warren, was the only weak link in an otherwise fine cast. The young couple in love are polar opposites in background and personality but a perfect example of two young people in love, in a fairy tale world of course.

The music, the sets, and the upstairs-downstairs characters and everything about the movie were smartly arranged. The supporting cast was great, from Simon Dutton as the butler (watch for a surprise!) to the family of the commoner in love with her prince. Of course, it was all in the Hallmark tradition of giving us something Christmassy to wallow in for the holidays. See it and just let yourself enjoy the treat.

I enjoyed this Hallmark movie. The formula works - a girl falls in love with guy who turns out to be a prince. They travel to his European kingdom where she doesn't quite seem suitable enough a match.

The lead actors are watchable enough. Lacey Chabert isn't stunningly beautiful but she is likable and isn't annoying. Jane Seymour acts well as the disapproving queen. She is still very slim. It's refreshing to see an actress not having undergone plastic surgery, unlike some actresses of her age. Her real life daughter Katie Flynn has a role here. The prince's accent sounds a bit un royal at times.

One fault: The costumes are a bit cheap looking even taking into account it's a TV movie and not a big budget feature like "The Princess Diaries".

Worth one watch.

While there were parts that were good, and I've watched it a few times (silly but sometimes heart-warming and cute), Hallmark made the American characters appear warm-hearted but classless, goofy, and downright stupid. Royalty doesn't float around the US falling in love & marrying classless, poorly-dressed dolts who would call a queen "your majesty-ness". Further, it's highly unlikely that Prince William walked into Buckingham Palace with Kate on his arm without Kate having some serious coaching, and untrained staff would likely never serve a queen. As for the comparison to 'a princess for Christmas', the only thing I will mention is that both movies portrayed the (American) women as weak and sloppy with neither having a decent career or job, and the costumes were hideous. Jane Seymour had some good lines, but she is portrayed a heartless witch with no other purpose, and the staff is portrayed as incompetent idiots. Victor and the Baroness are the only characters I really liked. More work next year Hallmark.

Hallmark does seem to do a nice line in "I'm dating an actual Prince/King" films, and this is an example.

It's not my favourite sort of Hallmark film, but Lacey Chabert as ever manages to make it work (just about), as her character stays true to herself amongst all the royal pomp and ex Bond girl Jane Seymour's character hissing in the background.

Good fun overall.

7/10 - fun Lacey Chabert Hallmark flick with a royal setting and unhappy future in-laws

I liked this despite myself, it was just so horribly addictive even though you knew exactly what was going to happen about 5 minutes in, right down to the little orphan girl and the Queens first love. This has a fairy tale (Cinderella or Pretty Woman) like quality to it which I guess we all secretly covet or at least Hallmark thinks we do.

Here a prince posing as a common (college student) must reveal the truth about his royal lineage to his girlfriend -a seamstress from Philadelphia- who then must try to impress Leopold's mother, Queen Isadora when the couple travel to the castle (in the made up land of Cordinia) to spend the holidays with his family.

I did enjoy Stephen Hagon who played the Prince, just a nice guy and his love interest (Lacy Chabert) was okay too, a bit too perky maybe. Jane Seymour was actually very good here, she gave me several laughs with her sneering, cold, bitchiness.

There are some fun 'Upstairs Downstairs' or 'Downton Abby' moments as "Emily" bonds with the castle staff and I suppose this couple is meant to resemble William and Kate to further pull us into the fantasy. Regardless, I enjoyed this is a very simple sort of way. 12/16/14

This is the perfect Christmas movie that is well written well acted and the soundtrack is perfect. Even though the story line itself centres around Leo and Emily and the Queen, every character right down to the servants gives this movie a strong foundation on which it builds itself on. All the little sub plots never leave this movie in a lull and there is an air of true Christmas spirit that leaves you wanting more. Our family enjoyed this movie together it seemed to really kick start the Christmas spirit within us and that's what Christmas movies are all about.I would easily say it's the feel good Christmas movie of the year.

There were quite a few reasons for wanting to see 'A Royal Christmas'. The title was a little corny but also somewhat appealing. The idea for the story was hardly original but sounded sweet and fun enough. Lacey Chabert is always watchable, and listenable , and generally one of the better prolific Hallmark leads, whether their festive efforts or overall. Have been on another one of my completest quests since November/December, and 'A Royal Christmas' was part of it.

As far as the films seen as part of this particular quest goes, 'A Royal Christmas' struck me as one of the stronger faring ones and found myself surprisingly quite liking it. It is not perfect or quite great, but it was to me respectfully a lot better than the more negative, with its critical reception being quite mixed, reviews led me to believe. One of Chabert's better festive Hallmark films too, and she has been in a fair few that have varied in quality.

Chabert is also one of 'A Royal Christmas' best selling points. Not everybody may warm completely to her character, she was just fine for me. Very cute without being too cutesy and amusing, her decision making didn't annoy me or ring false too much, and Chabert plays her with charm and wit. Stephen Hagan is also likeable in his role and didn't seem stiff or devoid of personality, the chemistry between him and Chabert is sweet with some playfulness here and there. Katherine Flynn doesn't overplay too much Natasha's over-confidence, which would have grated if it had been, but it's Jane Seymour's icy and regal Isidora that shines most of the cast.

Production values are also well done, especially the eteriors and interiors of the palace. So gorgeous and like a character of its own. There is a playful and charmingly script, where the dialogue doesn't flow awkwardly, and while the story is very formulaic it moves swiftly and has not too over-sentimental heart that some Hallmark films don't have enough of. Characterisation has varied with Hallmark, while the characters don't have depth at least they to me were not vanilla in personality, none pointless and all interesting in their own way. The servants for instance were amusing. Some nice moments in the soundtrack.

In that regard though, mostly the soundtrack was a little too loud and could have been utilised more subtly. At times the costumes are slightly on the cheap side, like with the nuns.

More surprises in the plot would have been more welcome and would have given it more freshness.

Summarising, not bad at all. Pleasantly surprising actually. 7/10

Other than the cool castle, simply plug new characters into the formulaic Hallmark schmaltzy script and you will know 5 minutes into the story how it will end. Hallmark REALLY needs some new writers and directors! Same loud relentless non-stop music overpowering the insipid dialog.

Same old plot: Prince meets commoner, falls in love. Prince takes commoner home to meet royal Mom. Royal Mom is tyrant, wants royal son to marry royal ex-girlfriend. Royal Mom plots against commoner who is busy making friends below stairs because she is so perky and friendly. Commoner sacrifices her happiness "for the good of the kingdom". Royal Mom sees the light, does a rapid 180, and urges Prince to follow his heart. No point in going on, you know what happens from here.

Don't waste your time. There are way better things in life than this drivel.

Princely boyfriend brings 'regular girl' home to the castle. Lacey Chabert character seems like such a defenseless 'victim' here of not knowing how to speak to people who just really live in a much larger house? She cowers and seems not to have any poise at all !

Would this 'Prince' really want to be with her at all? Would anyone?

They make her so mousy that when she learns anything ( like how to dance or eat an hors doeurves?). She has come into a whole different world? Really?

It's outdated and although this character comes from the 'real world' she should have basic confidence in herself which makes me feel why is this guy interested in her at all!

I wanted to like this movie but it's frustrating to see this young girl as such a 'victim!'

Christmas doesn't actually play a big part in A Royal Christmas. It could have taken place during any time of the year and it wouldn't have made a difference to the plot. It's also very formulaic. You know exactly where the story is going every step of the way because you've seen this story a dozen times. And yet I didn't hate it. I don't know why, exactly, but I didn't.

I love Hallmark Christmas movies, and I especially liked this one. It seemed a little too short, though. I noticed one of the other reviewers said that Disney should take lessons from Hallmark--guess what? Disney owns Hallmark and ABC FAMILY. Just different target audiences. But back to the movie... I liked all the actors, but it would have been nice to see Emily,s dad and her friend a little bit more. The castle and clothes were beautiful. The only thing that I found hard to believe was the village scene where nuns are selling things to raise money for an orphanage. If they are supposed to be near France (an industrialized country), why does the village look like it's set in the 1600s? Whenever an American movie has a scene in another country it always looks like something from "A Tale of Two Cities." Yes, I know, that was around 1812. Still, I really liked the movie. I watch Christmas stuff all year long. Just could have been longer. I recommend this film!

Yet again the US just doesn't quite manage to portray royals properly. They try to pad things out with cheap looking sets and costumes (their inability to use cummerbuns correctly was driving My Wife crazy). And as always it's the fun loving American that "break the mould " and shatters stuff upper lip of the royal household staff.

I think this is the same "castle" location later used for A Christmas Prince, which follows an almost identical plot and I think is the better version if this story premise.

That being the case, it's still fun, and inoffensive. Worth the watch and a perfectly serviceable Christmas movie.

After all the "movies" being made these days this was a truly breath of fresh air. I've been renting/buying most of Lacey Chabert's Hallmark movies lately (some decent, some not so much) and this one by far is the best. Everyone was very relaxed and having a lot of fun. The prince guy was unexpectedly watchable (not too self-conscious and played remarkably well off of his co-stars). Even Jane Seymour seemed to be enjoying her part. So yeah, it's not an academy award winning drama or a complex spy movie... it's a Hallmark. It's on the light side and you pretty much know what's coming... except it was surprisingly engaging and highly entertaining. Best movie I've watched in a while. Give it a try.

I love the Hallmark Christmas movies and look forward to the new ones being released each year. The stories are delightful and uplifting with happy endings, and they are always enjoyable during the holiday Christmas season.

The concern I have is that the Hallmark movies have loud, annoying, incessant "bing-bong" music that overpowers the voices of the actors. Every word should be clear. Had to turn it off half way through, so, therefore, a low rating.

Plus, I wish Lacey Chabert would stop the silly giggling. Made the movie seem immature and childish.

Hallmark seems fascinated with the whole Prince falls madly in love with unsuitable American girl. Or vice versa. This one is perhaps my favorite. The couple meet and the whole Royal Family thing doesn't really enter into their relationship. Until, Prince has to go home for coronation. Naturally he brings his girlfriend with him.

Jane Seymour is a great actress. Why do they always put her in movies where she has to act like a total bi_ch? We all know the family is going to disapprove. We also know that the Prince will get his girl in the end, otherwise, what's the point?

Anyway, Lacey Chabert is, as always, bubbly, effervescent, charming. She charms all the staff at the palace. There is, per usual, the "royal" who wants to marry the prince and causes trouble.

But overall, a charming movie. Worth having in your top 10 list.

A prince (Stephen Hagan) falls in love with a lower-class woman (Lacey Chabert) while studying in the US. He brings her home for Christmas but his mother the queen (Jane Seymour) is horrified that he loves a commoner and sets out to stop the romance.

Utterly predictable but thoroughly charming. I knew from frame 1 how it was going to end but didn't care. The story was sweet, the movie moved quickly and the settings were beautiful. The acting was great too. Hagan was tall, VERY handsome and charming. Chabert was beautiful and sweet. Best of all was Seymour who's obviously having a whale of a time playing evil. An incredibly sweet enjoyable movie.

Look, I love a cheesy romcom as much as the next girl, but can the writers PLEASE make sure the script is at least marginally accurate? There were so many peerage mistakes in this movie that really irritated me.

Lacey Chabert was charming and the Prince guy was reasonably believable as a young royal wanting to find a "real" girl but aside from that there wasn't much this film could offer. I really wish that Jane Seymour wouldn't degrade herself to projects like this (speaking as a Dr. Quinn fan).

If you enjoy the fluffy, feel-good, holiday films that Hallmark make then this film is for you. If you're after a real life Cinderella tale then look elsewhere. May I suggest "Ever After"?

3/10 stars. Sorry Hallmark. Not your best holiday movie.