Philippa Northeast and Brant Daugherty in ‘A Royal Runaway Romance.’ Photo Credit: Kailey Schwerman, Crown Media
“A Royal Runaway Romance” is a pleasant new original movie that premiered on Saturday, April 9 on the Hallmark Channel. This movie was a part of the network’s “Spring into Love” programming event.
David Weaver did a solid job directing the film (with a clear and concise vision) from a captivating script by acclaimed screenwriter Jake Helgren.
The synopsis of the film is as follows: Just as Princess Amelia (Philippa Northeast) is preparing to take over as Queen once her mother Ava (Sarah Jane Redmond) steps down in a year, she finds herself falling for Wes (Andre Anthony) the American artist commissioned to paint her royal portrait.
The Queen makes it clear that she doesn’t think Wes is the right match for Amelia, so when the artist returns home to Chicago, Amelia devises another reason to travel to the states – her Uncle Andreas’ (Vincent Gale) upcoming birthday. It’s the perfect plan…except that Andreas’ Beverly Hills home is nowhere near Chicago, and Wes isn’t able to meet her there.
Complicating matters further, her mother insists on traveling with her and confiscates her passport, making a quick flight to Chicago impossible. And perhaps the biggest hurdle is when Amelia learns that Grady Beck (Brant Daughtery), Andreas’ trusted bodyguard, is now assigned to stay with her at all times. Not easily deterred from her plans to see Wes, Amelia decides to “borrow” Grady’s car to drive to Chicago.
When the handsome bodyguard catches onto her plan and tells her uncle, Andreas agrees to help Amelia on one condition – Grady must go with her. Heading out with Grady in Andreas’ classic convertible, America-obsessed Amelia gets the cross-country trip she’d always dreamed of – and perhaps her last chance to be free before assuming the responsibilities of being Queen.
Along the way, Amelia and Grady open up to each other and find that they have more in common and more fun together than either expected. With every state line they cross, each will learn that in road trips and romance, the destination is less important than the journey and the person you share it with.
Philippa Northeast is lovely and delightful as Princess Amelia while Brant Daugherty is the voice of reason as Grady Beck. Daugherty does subtle acting work quite well in a controlled manner, and both actors have tremendous chemistry together.
The Verdict
“A Royal Runaway Romance” is a compelling, warm and witty new film on the Hallmark Channel. Philippa Northeast and Brant Daugherty give triumphant performances in this movie, which are bound to put smiles on the audience’s faces.
There is something in it for everyone, and it will certainly help provide an escape during the trying times that the world is going through. Compliments once again to David Weaver and Jake Helgren for their exceptional direction and writing respectively. “A Royal Runaway Romance” garners an A rating.
Read More: Brant Daugherty chatted about the new Hallmark movie “A Royal Runaway Romance.”
