I really enjoyed this movie... the acting was pretty good especially the chemistry between the two main characters... movie starts a bit abruptly but makes sense... thought the main actress was over acting in the first 30 mins but got better. Overall, I cried a few times over the sweetness. Could have used some more humor like in Crown for Christmas.
39 Reviews
Cute story/premise-- horrible dialogue
slackersmom15 January 2019
I like the main characters, for the most part. But the female lead (the pretty teacher) has got to be the stupidest "smart" person on the planet. Common sense says you don't admit to picking royal flowers while you're sitting at the dinner table with King, Queen, and other royal guests. Or talk about the gardener, or the cook. Anyone with half a brain should know that. So yeah, the writers make her out to be an idiot; in fact, she seems to have a knack for saying the exact wrong thing. I guess it's supposed to come off as her being "down-to-earth" or charming, or something, but .... sorry, it doesn't work out that way. Quite the opposite: it's an epic fail.
Cute Movie
NicoletteSteele13 August 2018
Royally Ever after was a cute movie. It's nowhere near as horrible as other reviews state. I rather enjoyed it. It's your typical happy ever after Hallmark movie. You know what to expect from them and in the end, the hero and heroine always end up together. Was this inspired by Harry and Meghan? Yes and no. The commoner marrying royalty theme has been a common theme in romance novels and movies for decades. At least this movie was filmed in Ireland instead of a cheesy sound stage. The cinematography was great and the acting was decent. It you're looking for something light and flirty, this movie is a great choice.
Predictable but I liked it
jzarelli-0320821 May 2018
Wow.
pauldevall-2743617 August 2018
stakes
SnoopyStyle3 September 2018
Jersey girl Sara DeMarco is a sweet, outgoing grade school teacher. She's been going out with Daniel for a year although she doesn't know anything about his family. He brings good news of his book getting published and then he proposes to her. The biggest surprise is that he's actually a prince and the heir to the throne of the small country of St Ives. His parents are not happy to have the commoner. Not only is she too casual with the help. Daniel would have to abandon his claim to the throne to marry her. When reminded of this, the sister Princess Fiona becomes much more supportive since she is next in the line of succession.
Sure this is Hallmark but I can't excuse weak work just for that. This is weak. On the positive side, Fiona Gubelmann is bubbly cute although bordering on annoying. She fits the role well and for the first half, this works well enough following the formula. It's a fun, often repeated Prince Charming fantasy. They don't have the cash to stage the needed extravagance. It's a poorer version of Downton Abbey. The problem starts with the manufactured stakes. There is no rooting interest for him to be King. He doesn't want it and she doesn't really want it for him. Other than tradition, there is nothing holding them to the throne. It should be his decision and it's actually annoying to have her decide for him. It's played as a great sacrifice but in reality, it's nothingness. It's telling that there is no villain in the movie because there are no stakes. The throne has to be something better to be an actual stake.
Sure this is Hallmark but I can't excuse weak work just for that. This is weak. On the positive side, Fiona Gubelmann is bubbly cute although bordering on annoying. She fits the role well and for the first half, this works well enough following the formula. It's a fun, often repeated Prince Charming fantasy. They don't have the cash to stage the needed extravagance. It's a poorer version of Downton Abbey. The problem starts with the manufactured stakes. There is no rooting interest for him to be King. He doesn't want it and she doesn't really want it for him. Other than tradition, there is nothing holding them to the throne. It should be his decision and it's actually annoying to have her decide for him. It's played as a great sacrifice but in reality, it's nothingness. It's telling that there is no villain in the movie because there are no stakes. The throne has to be something better to be an actual stake.
Royally surprised/proposed ever after
alexgibbsa29 December 2021
I really loved this movie. I liked that she basically has all the royal staff how like her. Also I love that his family ends up letting them get married at some point in time. And this is a great Royal romance movie that all families should sit down and watch together.
Does She Ever Shut Up?
BA-996422 March 2020
Great movie!
joey42596 February 2021
I'm surprised this has such a low rating compared to other Hallmark movies. Fiona Gumbelmann was lovely as Sarah! It had a great story that never lulled in the middle like a good bit of the Hallmark movies tend to do, at least for me. Torrance Coombs has become one of my favorite actors recently and is why I decided to record this one to watch...he did not disappoint! Hallmark needs to use him a lot more. I highly recommend this to all Hallmark lovers and even those who aren't. I thought it was great!
I really wanted to love this movie
amycate21 May 2018
Not up to your standard
gailricci21 May 2018
A royal mess
TheLittleSongbird18 August 2022
The whole royal meets commoner and falling in love scenario was already very old and done to death by the time 'Royally Ever After' was made. It is a scenario that Hallmark over the past seven years or so have recycled quite a lot and very few films that have this concept do anything fresh. Seeing it near universally panned also lessened my already admittedly quite low expectations. Some of the royal Hallmark films have actually been pretty good, so there was a glimmer of hope.
Which was quite early on dashed in a film that started off quite badly and got worse until reaching terrible degrees the sillier and more irritating things got. There was no intent on hating 'Royally Ever After', some films seen with low expectations have been surprisingly good and Hallmark have done good films regardless of any predictability. 'Royally Ever After' is one of the very bad things, with almost nothing working and the worst aspects being dreadful.
'Royally Ever After's' best aspect is some of the production values, which are very nice to look at. Especially the scenery, which Hallmark more often than not delivered on even in the duds. The castle is a source of wonder.
Unfortunately that is pretty much it. What immediately stands out in a bad way is how truly unlikeable the female lead character is, she is very irritating and as others have said for somebody who is meant to be smart as the film says so she does and says things that are insultingly stupid. In fact, none of the characters are interesting or worth rooting for, with the prince being bland and all the supporting characters with no exceptions being caricatures and pretty much recycled stereotypes seen in other royal Hallmark films.
No better news about the acting, which comprises of a stiff and personality free Torrance Coombs who has nothing to work with pretty much, grotesque mix of hamming up and phoning in from all the supporting players and worst of all the even more outrageous overacting of Fiona Gubelmann (who has been good elsewhere), who overdoes all her character's flaws and too much of a naive simpering high school student. She and Coombs have absolutely no chemistry together in another relationship that is underdeveloped. With it being rushed and like there were parts intended to be there but left on the editing room floor. Some of the editing is choppy and like a rush job.
Music is too constant and over-scored, not uncommon for Hallmark but this is one of the worst Hallmark films in this regard for this year. The direction is characterless and leaden. The script is full of cheese, over sweet schmaltz and is painfully awkward, a lot of the dialogue induces cringing. The story is thin, excessively silly, with too much cobbled together and does absolutely nothing new with a continually recycled formula. Which makes the film feel very fatigued and it is not good fun watching a film knowing throughout how it's all going to map out five minutes before the event happens. The ending is too neat and feels unearned.
Concluding, very bad. 2/10.
Which was quite early on dashed in a film that started off quite badly and got worse until reaching terrible degrees the sillier and more irritating things got. There was no intent on hating 'Royally Ever After', some films seen with low expectations have been surprisingly good and Hallmark have done good films regardless of any predictability. 'Royally Ever After' is one of the very bad things, with almost nothing working and the worst aspects being dreadful.
'Royally Ever After's' best aspect is some of the production values, which are very nice to look at. Especially the scenery, which Hallmark more often than not delivered on even in the duds. The castle is a source of wonder.
Unfortunately that is pretty much it. What immediately stands out in a bad way is how truly unlikeable the female lead character is, she is very irritating and as others have said for somebody who is meant to be smart as the film says so she does and says things that are insultingly stupid. In fact, none of the characters are interesting or worth rooting for, with the prince being bland and all the supporting characters with no exceptions being caricatures and pretty much recycled stereotypes seen in other royal Hallmark films.
No better news about the acting, which comprises of a stiff and personality free Torrance Coombs who has nothing to work with pretty much, grotesque mix of hamming up and phoning in from all the supporting players and worst of all the even more outrageous overacting of Fiona Gubelmann (who has been good elsewhere), who overdoes all her character's flaws and too much of a naive simpering high school student. She and Coombs have absolutely no chemistry together in another relationship that is underdeveloped. With it being rushed and like there were parts intended to be there but left on the editing room floor. Some of the editing is choppy and like a rush job.
Music is too constant and over-scored, not uncommon for Hallmark but this is one of the worst Hallmark films in this regard for this year. The direction is characterless and leaden. The script is full of cheese, over sweet schmaltz and is painfully awkward, a lot of the dialogue induces cringing. The story is thin, excessively silly, with too much cobbled together and does absolutely nothing new with a continually recycled formula. Which makes the film feel very fatigued and it is not good fun watching a film knowing throughout how it's all going to map out five minutes before the event happens. The ending is too neat and feels unearned.
Concluding, very bad. 2/10.
Great concept--horrible lead actress
khconsteng20 May 2018
I love Hallmark movies and have loved that Hallmark has really improved their scripts, locations, and esspecially their actors. Hallmark got the location right and found the perfect lead actor, Torrance Coombs, however, Fiona Gubelman totally ruins this movie as lead actress. She was so annoying i couldn't finish this movie. So many other actresses could have helped make this a fun, cute movie.
Insipid Writing, Annoying Dialogue and Overacting
lizliu20 May 2018
Hallmark movies are usually a lovely balance of sweet and cheesy, as well as good writing. This was not the case with Royally Ever After. Truly insipid writing, which resulted in annoying and terrible dialogue... and at times, awful overacting by the lead actress. Bottom line: Disappointing.
Loved the fact it was filmed in Ireland!
caesar777719 September 2020
Horrible acting, cliche riddled film
joycekettren10 April 2021
Typical Hallmark fare; down to earth American meets a Prince from an unknown, micro-sized European country where everyone speaks with English accents. Cultures clash, aristocratic noses are out of joint, love prevails. But this one is particularly cringe-inducing owing to the annoyingly amateurish acting of the lead, Fiona Gubelmann. She giggles and bounces-literally bounces up on her toes-at every opportunity. It's not the role, Gubelmann bounces and giggles through every part she's ever played. This one is a must miss.
Hallmark's lowest
penangsteam2 September 2019
I never expected Hallmark to produce something this bad. Fiona Gubelmann's character is annoying and brings stupidity to a whole new level - and she is the movie's lead! Most of the time, you would be wishing she would just shut up. Do not waste your time with this one.
Nope, nope, nope!
glamourgal-747032 November 2018
Oh my goodness. This movie was terrible. It was like the female lead character had no common sense. Please do not make your viewers look stupid. It is one thing to be cheesy, sugary sweet and have the characters living in a fabulous, non-existent, fairytale towns. But, it is quite the insulting slap in the face to your audience to have stupid characters. I have seen SO many other great movies on your channel! I expect better Christmas movies on the horizon to make up for the two hours I wasted on this movie.
Do better Hallmark!!!
Do better Hallmark!!!
Lovely Hallmark Entertainment
allie-1671323 May 2018
Poor Fiona Gubelmann
Jackbv12326 May 2018
Was this silliness on the part of Fiona Gubelmann her idea, or did she have a choice? I'm sure someone thought this was funny. There might have been some small smiles, but certainly not compared to the overacting that went into it. I wish I could have liked Sara, but she was just too much.
Soon the obstacles start piling up and the problem was, I didn't care. Sara, just shut up.
The usual Hallmark romance is about the boy winning the girl or vice versa, but in this movie, that has already been accomplished and this movie is more about the girl winning everyone else. And there is a large section about trying to make Sara conform. There is a little humor here, but not enough.
A little past half way, the fast forward button got a lot of use. It doesn't really get better.
The last part follows a pattern so many of these royal movies do, but in this movie it makes less sense than practically any of them I can remember. And it isn't even particularly well done.
The acting is poor. Too many clichés and one dimensional people. Terrible dialogue. Terrible plot. Terrible climax.
I often get angry with people who give terrible reviews to these movies when they should have expected just what they were complaining about. This movie really was bad on many levels. It didn't even do the expected things well.
Soon the obstacles start piling up and the problem was, I didn't care. Sara, just shut up.
The usual Hallmark romance is about the boy winning the girl or vice versa, but in this movie, that has already been accomplished and this movie is more about the girl winning everyone else. And there is a large section about trying to make Sara conform. There is a little humor here, but not enough.
A little past half way, the fast forward button got a lot of use. It doesn't really get better.
The last part follows a pattern so many of these royal movies do, but in this movie it makes less sense than practically any of them I can remember. And it isn't even particularly well done.
The acting is poor. Too many clichés and one dimensional people. Terrible dialogue. Terrible plot. Terrible climax.
I often get angry with people who give terrible reviews to these movies when they should have expected just what they were complaining about. This movie really was bad on many levels. It didn't even do the expected things well.
Cast? and Ancestry anyone?
williamspam5428 May 2018
Who were the rest of the actors, ie. Mr & Mrs DeMarco.
Also, did none of the writers think that someone would think to research Sarah's genealogy? She could be descended from someone royal somewhere in Europe. Most of us Americans are descended from someone in Europe.
Also, did none of the writers think that someone would think to research Sarah's genealogy? She could be descended from someone royal somewhere in Europe. Most of us Americans are descended from someone in Europe.
Just bad. Really, really bad.
heidilw70-325-29593822 September 2018
I know what to expect most of the time from Hallmark movies: a bit sappy, a bit cheesy, ridiculously good-looking people thrown together in some kind of conflict, then falling in love by the end. This movie was just plain awful. Awful script, awful direction, awful acting. It seemed like the writers just took bits and pieces from every "commoner turns into a princess" movie out there and made every situation ten times more awkward in this one. Which just made it ten times more cringe-worthy. Not in an endearing way, but in an "I can't believe someone would act so stupid in real life" kind of way. Do yourself a favor and save the 90 minutes of your life that you will never get back.
Wow! Ireland never looked so gorgeous!
ljfrance23 May 2018
Amazing direction! Fantastic performances! Just the romantic respite needed in days of so much negativity. The cinematography is stunning and overall it's just lovely. I saw some negative posts about the film and simply don't understand all the seriousness. This is Hallmark people. We go watch these for romantic escape, love, and a happy ending. Sarah's character is not obsessed royalty or tabloids. I get it. Neither am I! I would have made, largely, many of her faux pas'. In addition, it's a rom-com people! And it perfectly echos what happened in reality regarding a "change in tradition" - thank god! I loved it! Kudos to all involved!
Cheesey fun
madsec8 September 2018
A shame that they thought St Ives was Irish... well, all the staff have Irish accents!
Poorly constructed opinion of the English people as usual, although it also mocked the American lead making her out as rather stupid and cumbersome and her parents as oafish. Rather disappointing story, but a sweet concept.
Never have I ever.
GymRunner181030 January 2019
Sorry Hallmark as someone from the United Kingdom, Great Britain, England I can honestly say this is the worst piece of film making I have ever seen. I cringed all the way through. Why do you think a 2nd grade teacher can educate a monarchy? A total insult to both nations, making the main female character look/feel inadequate. Awful just awful
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
