User reviews

Watched 'A Royal Winter' with not the highest of expectations, fairly mixed actually. While loving Christmas for as long as can be remembered and seeing Samantha Bond (capable of good performances herself) in the cast, Hallmark have been very variable (veering towards average or less more than once) when it comes to films of theirs mixing Christmas and royalty. The title sounded sweet but the concept sounded so been there, done that and flimsy.

Luckily, 'A Royal Winter' turned out to be much better than expected, being well above average and even really quite good. Which is not what the plot synopsis indicated it would be if it was executed wrongly. It may not be flawless or a masterpiece, but it is for me one of the best Hallmark Christmas films out of a very mixed bunch and one of the best of theirs mixing Christmas and royalty. Actually being one of the good ones and one that rises above its concept.

Sure it is thin in story, being very predictable and taking a bit of time to get going. A lot of situations being quite over-familiar and lacking freshness.

Did feel that 'A Royal Winter' ends too patly and the midway 180 character change comes too out of nowhere.

All the cast are good however, with appealing lead performances from Merritt Patterson and Jack Donnelly and Bond being regal and with no signs of overacting or being bored. 'A Royal Winter' is one of not many Hallmark Christmas films to have no characters that didn't annoy me, questioned the point of or come over as lacking in personality. The chemistry between Patterson and Donnelly comes over as very sweet and natural, no signs of being forced or disconnected. Often have reservations with the use of music in their films, it was used well to me and had a festive feel, not sounding overdone in placement or balance.

It looks good, especially the interiors of the royal home which are wonderfully opulent. Lovingly shot too. The script doesn't get too corny or schmaltzy, the odd cringeworthy line here and there but there is heart here and a nice amount of playfulness. The story lacks surprises, but is very charming, very sweet, entertainingly light-hearted and movingly heart-warming.

On the whole, nicely done. 7/10.

The story is pleasant enough for a romance movie. Maggie gets swept off her feet by a wonderful man who turns out to be a prince who is about to be crowned. Like many Hallmark movies, at least one of the lead characters has none of the personal traits required to hold the position they hold, or aspire to, in life. In this case Maggie is too laid back to be a corporate lawyer. She is timid and indecisive. Meanwhile the Prince is the cliché "playboy prince" that he is reputed to be. He has avoids important duties and responsibilities and he wanders the town apparently flirting with girls. This is mitigated in part by his special foundation. Another trait of Hallmark movies is how minds and even personalities do a complete 180 all of a sudden. And the climax is pretty much predictable. This movie lacks anything that stands out as special, so although it is pleasant, it is also just average.

This is typical of the "American girl doesn't know they guy she's with is a European prince" plots ... although in the case the girl DOES find out before the movie has gone too far.

We also have the typical Queen wants to get rid of the commoner trope, with the beautiful Samantha Bond as the Queen. I always thought it a bit odd that she played Moneypenny in James Bond movies when it was HER name that's "Bond". ;-)

Despite the cliches, the main couple makes this work, developing a comfortable relationship both in the story and in their acting, and that always helps to sell a romance. There is very little of an antithetical trope here, as their unfortunate first encounter is easily remedied.

The always-stunning Merritt Patterson is Maggie Marks - congratulations on leaning into the Meghan Markle/Prince Harry excitement, Hallmark - who, whilst waiting to hear whether she will be offered a job at a big New York City lawfirm, travels with her best friend to the tiny European nation of Calpurnia where, for reasons I can't figure out, everyone talks with a British accent.

There, Maggie meets a stranger (Jack Donnelly) who turns out to be the prince of Calpurnia aka The Playboy Prince, who is just days away from his coronation.

Sparks fly, because this is Hallmark - but good Hallmark, even with the "evil" mother, who in this case is actually rather feelingly portrayed by Samantha Bond. Patterson and Donnelly are good together, it's a pretty decent script, and whilst the usual spanner in the works about two thirds in and the predictable happy ending to follow, this is still one of Hallmark's better royal movies.

A royal winter This is a movie you can smile from the start to the end .

An American girl ready to be recruited to a law firm gets some pre-Christmas vacation trip on a fictional small country in Europe with ...prince. The prince is a womanizer but also does a secret social work which is his secret and gets in a typical rom com story with many dates many times outside the royal protocol and against his despotic mother.

His motto is Womanizer vs the good boy Which sells better?

I don't go in more detail in this movie

Simple plot with a few significant twists that change the story A happy movie for all the family.

If you like bland movies with plots and endings you can predict with total accuracy in the first 5 minutes, you'll probably love this.

A beautiful, young, U. S. lawyer-to-be takes a European vacation while contemplating a high-powered job she has interviewed for and clearly doesn't want. She travels to a small fictional country, the entire population of which apparently fits in a small church. She meets a young, hunky prince with a cold, controlling, extremely manipulative mother (the Queen) who doesn't really like him and definitely doesn't like the U. S. commoner who has suddenly shown up in his life shortly before his coronation. Actually, it seems everyone loves the young woman except for the Queen.

But, of course, everything turns out just fine. Just as you knew it would.

This was a very enjoyable movie! Well acted, well written romance. Actually believable characters and lovely scenery. Grab a glass of wine, some chocolate and your loved one.. and enjoy

Those cute and dreamy movies about princes, princesses and/or commoners and frogs, that every child should watch, are adorable, as an adult they cause strangeness and embarrassment, some avoidable situations, everything is very convenient, highly cliché, I do not recommend it, especially when it is made with a certain seriousness, although wrapped in a lovely lightness. Simple, cute, silly, sweet, charming, boring and predictable...

While on a last-minute vacation in Europe, a young woman finds herself in the middle of a real-life fairy tale when a chance encounter with a beautiful local leads to something more.

Maggie, a recent law school graduate, is interviewing for the big law firm job that her Father thinks she should aspire to. This is causing Maggie a lot of stress as she is not sure that this is the right step for her career, especially when during the interview they are clear about her giving up her personal time...including her volunteeer work with school aged children in the reading program.

Maggie's friend Sarah convinces her to destress on a trip to Calpernia (Europe). Maggie agrees and under-duress she tries to loosen up. There she meets motor cycle riding Adrian. The two of them seem to have a connection in that their families seem to want them to be something that they are not career-wise. Eventually Maggie finds out that Adrian is the crown prince and on the Eve of being crowned King. The media has falsely portrayed him as the playboy prince...but Maggie gets to see the real Adrian.

She also is convinced that if his mom see me the real Adrian that she will relent in her desires to change him in to something that he is not.

Middle of the road royal romance in the winter.

Stressed out by a tough interview for a job that will make her father proud, a young woman travels to Europe at the insistence of her best friend. Once arrived in Calpurnia, she stumbles upon a charming character with whom she starts meeting. They get closer and closer as time goes by but a little secret regarding his social position will soon affect their relationship.

It's a wonderful romantic movie, set in a cozy winter place, determined to bring plenty of emotion to any of its viewers. It has an apparently simple plot which brings a lot more than expected, helped of course by a couple of complex characters, which tend to be extremely likeable. Thus almost every feeling they have is easily sent to the viewer as well, creating some sort of bond between them.

The dialog it presents is rich and quite intelligent, adding even more value to the plot. Speaking of the latter, it is pretty well developed overall, although it can sometimes be predictable, but nothing that can lower its quality. It brings a couple of twists into the equation, adding a small amount of drama from time to time.

It's a very good movie as far as I'm concerned. It creates an unique winter atmosphere, presenting a wonderful love story at the same time, one which managed to keep me entertained until the end. Great characters, very good actors and a good plot make it a very good movie for everyone, especially during the winter holidays, but not only.

An American girl goes on vacation to a small fictional European country where conveniently English is spoken as the first language. She accidentally meets a prince, and they fall head over heels for each other in just a matter of a few days. How many times have we already seen something like this? Also, the name of the main character is Maggie Marks, which is kinda self-explanatory. Having said that, this is one of the better ones that follow the same formula despite not adding anything new to the mix. The leading couple is cute, characters are likable and even think with their brains. There are no cringeworthy scenes or over the top ending, so it's a solid royal movie.

While the female lead is supposed to be a corporate lawyer, the story states up front that is not where her heart is. So she is not portrayed as the typical corporate lawyer. The character of the prince, on the other hand, is played as the typical playboy prince he is supposed to be. As mentioned by other reviewers, he does do a 180 degree change in the middle of the movie, but he has good reason, he has fallen in love. And the young woman has found a kindred spirit; one who is interested in the betterment of common people. The best thing I like about this movie is the actor playing the female lead is actually the age of the character she plays. She is not in her late 30s or early 40s playing a character in her mid to late 20s. And she is not already engaged to a self-centered boyfriend with greased back hair. Why are so many other Hallmark female leads who are supposed to be so smart, actually so stupid to date these guys?

I loved the movie, A Royal Winter! I would like very much to get a copy of the CD, but I don't see it advertised for sale. I also hope there will be a part 2 of this film. The actors in this film were all very good, very genuine. Be sure to see it! You'll love it!

This movie is a love story about a young woman from New York who takes a European vacation to a mythical country named Calpurnia as a means of relaxing after a very taxing schooll year. While there she meets Prince Adrian, but in initially she doesn't know he is a prince. The characters in this movie are excellent, I highly recommend it.

I am a big sucker when it comes to hallmark movies. Specially during the winter months. I would have to say that this is one of my new favorites. I really hope they do a number 2. I'm curious to see what happens. There is so much of a story to tell.. What happens between the 2. Did she take the offer. Does the price get engaged.

I am nuts about Hallmark films involving royalty, particularly those involving royal locations. This one strikes me as particularly inviting. All the elements seem to come together--casting, location, script, cinematography and abundant elements of seriousness, laughter, predictability and surprise. The choice of actors here seems particularly felicitous; the characters emerge as genuine, situations plausible and there is great warmth to the entire enterprise. Waiting for it on DVD! I have a backlog of about 15 Hallmark films to get to. i am never disappointed, and this comes from a lifelong journalist, teacher, writer and one-time actor and singe who has seen it all. It is nice to enter a world of sanity, wholesomeness charm and a happy ending I guess.

I enjoyed this one like I enjoy most Hallmark movies. It had a couple different twists from the usual Hallmark Royalty movie. The ending was a little lackluster.

I loved it. I truly hope that part two will follow.

8.1 stars.

Maggie (Patterson) and Adrian (Donnelly) have some spark in this fairy tale where an American woman falls for a European prince. Wait, didn't I write this review several times already? This is literally the umpteenth Hallmark I've seen with this exact plot. The only difference between this and the others is the name of the country. Ok, so why would I waste my time watching if I've already seen it multiple times? I'll tell you why I stuck around for this movie...for one reason alone and you could easily guess if you've read any of my reviews. I can't say no to watching one of my top five favorite ladies steal the show with her heavenly smile, and boundless charm. That is all, finito, the end.