It’s the Christmas season! Which means I’m bingeing on Hallmark. And this movie is a staple of their Christmas season.
Beware royal SPOILERS!
We open in Buffalo, NY, where we meet Jules Daly (Katie McGrath). She works in an antique shop but not for long. The economy forces her boss to let her go. Which couldn’t come at a worst time. Jules is the guardian for her niece and nephew, Maddy (Leilah de Meza) and Milo (Travis Turner), following the death of her sister and her husband. After Milo sneaks out and steals a game and Maddy does some usual kid stuff, the nanny quits. Jules tries to rein in Milo, but he’s an angry kid. She’s at a loss at what to do.
Then she gets a visitor--Paisley (Miles Richardson). He reveals he works for Milo and Maddy’s paternal grandfather, Edward, Duke of Castlebury (Roger Moore). Edward hasn’t been feeling well lately and wants his grandchildren to spend Christmas with him because it might be his last. Jules isn’t too sure though. Edward had cut off his son after he had married Jules’ sister because she didn’t have a title. Milo and Maddy have never known their grandfather.
Jules decides to go and they fly to Castlebury. Their welcome isn’t very warm. Edward isn’t as close to death as Jules was led to believe and he’s still cold to them. The housekeeper, Mrs. Birch (Oxana Moravec), doesn’t seem to be much better but Maddy’s maid, Abigail (Madalina Anea), is nice as is Paisley.
After settling in, Jules goes exploring. She ends up running into Ashton (Sam Heughan), Edward’s younger son and the kids’ uncle. There is an instant connection but the two don’t realize it. After exchanging some small talk, they part ways and meet up again at dinner. There, Edward is cold and pretty much insults them. He’s also not a big fan of Christmas. Ashton, though, is more welcoming to his niece, nephew and their guardian. But he too has a frosty relationship with Edward. It seems Milo and Maddy’s father was the favored son.
In the morning, Ashton hosts a hunt with his friends. Including his girlfriend, Lady Arabella Marchond du Belmont (Charlotte Salt), and her brother, Lord Thomas Marchond du Belmont (Razvan Oprea). They spot Jules in the window and she rushes to get out of sight—she’s still in her pajamas and sporting bedhead. Ashton and Thomas find a certain charm in her; Arabella believes Jules’ has an ulterior motive.
Jules meanwhile takes Milo and Maddy into town to find a Christmas tree. Milo, though, gets in a fight with an orphan and causes a commotion. Jules drags her nephew back to Castlebury and tries to figure out how to reign him in.
She meets Lady Arabella and Lord Thomas, impressing the latter with her knowledge of antiques. But she’s called away when the servants find the ornaments. Mrs. Birch though tries to shut it down, saying Christmas is not really celebrated in Castlebury. Jules pleads with her and causes her to have a breakdown over her less than stellar childhood. She once got coal in her stocking! COAL! How awful! She agrees to let them put up the tree.
Then Milo chases Maddy throughout the house and everyone has to chase after them. They nearly collide with Lady Arabella. Ashton rescues Maddy from nearly getting run over but Lady Arabella’s purse is not so lucky. She’s upset about it but everyone else is glad that Maddy and Milo are okay. Lady Arabella leaves as Ashton sends the kids with Paisley to feed the Shetland ponies. Jules admits that she’s at a loss of what to do with Milo. Ashton says he’ll handle him.
That night, Ashton helps Jules, Milo and Maddy decorate the tree. As Ashton explains the story behind one ornament, Edward comes in. He is not thrilled to see them putting up a tree and demands that it be taken down. Maddy, though, helps him see things differently and the tree gets to stay.
In fact, she puts the Christmas spirit back into Edward. He orders Paisley to start preparing for the Christmas Eve Ball, a tradition he hasn’t upheld in years. Meanwhile, Ashton teaches Milo archery as an outlet for his anger. Milo seems to take to it. And that’s not all he learns. Edward has his grandchildren learn something cultural while in Castlebury. Milo chooses music (electric guitar) while Maddy chooses dancing (ballet). Speaking of dance, Ashton takes it upon himself to teach Jules dances for the ball. And she shows him some moves of her own. They get so into it, Ashton misses an important lunch with Lady Arabella. He apologizes but it only deepens her dislike of Jules.
Later, Jules is wondering the house when she overhears Edward and Ashton in Edward’s study. Father and son are going over the guest list while discussing Jules. They come to the name on the list and Edward doesn’t want to invite her. They discuss how she’s undesirable but Jules assumes they are discussing her. Dejected, she returns to her room to learn that the maids have burned her evening gown. Jules takes it as a sign that she shouldn’t go to the ball. The servants aren’t as sure.
Milo and Maddy get ready for their first ball as Jules tells them goodbye. She’s going back to America to look for a job, so they’ll have to celebrate Christmas together later. Maddy and Milo don’t understand but they agree not to tell anyone she’s gone. But the servants figure it out and go after her.
As they track Jules down to the train station, Ashton keeps looking for her. Instead, he finds Lady Arabella. They have a private conversation where he realizes that she doesn’t really love him but his title. He ends their relationship and really wants to find Jules. She makes her entrance right on time. Ashton escorts her in and she tells him she knows he and Edward didn’t want her there. He tells her she’s wrong and points out the person they really didn’t want to invite. Ashton then tells Jules that he holds her in the highest regard which is upper class for “I really, really like you.”
The two share a dance and anyone with eyes realizes there’s something between Jules and Ashton. Lady Arabella’s parents go to tell Edward to reign in their son and he’s like “Nope, not going to do that. I like this one.” So while Jules and Ashton are kissing out in the hallway, Lady Arabella decides to reveal everything she’s learned about Jules: she was fired from her job (laid off due to the economy but Arabella does want to paint her in a bad light), Milo steals and Maddy eats way too many chips. Jules appears and says that yes: Milo stole but he returned the video game, Maddy does eat a lot of chips but they are going to work on that in the New Year and she is unemployed but actively looking because she likes to work.
Edward and Ashton accept her answers. Edward then turns on Lady Arabella, chiding her because she’s never worked a day in her life. He then tells her that Jules is far classier than her and she storms out, insulted. After the party, Maddy and Milo discover Santa leaving presents as fireworks go off outside. Nice.
The movie ends a few months later at Ashton and Jules’ wedding. I guess they lived happily ever after.
“A Princess for Christmas” is a bit cliché but then again all the Hallmark movies are. Yet there are some good points—like Milo’s anger, how Ashton helps him, etc. But the cast is very good. McGrath ably carries the movie and has great chemistry with Heughan. The child actors are also very talented as well. It’s an enjoyable movie. Give it a watch.
Especially you Outlander fans.
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