Red, White & Royal Blue (Review) – get out the bunting, crack open the fizz and celebrate the union of Alex and Henry

Red, White & Royal Blue arrives on Prime Video on August 11th.

All good relationships start with cake! If you don’t believe me, look at Alex Claremont-Diaz (Taylor Zakhar Perez) and Prince Henry (Nicholas Galitzine) and the incident that opens Matthew Lopez’s delightful and proudly queer rom-com, Red, White & Royal Blue. It’s as if Alex and Henry took the misquote attributed to Marie-Antoinette by shouting, “Let them eat cake!” before toppling a giant wedding cake and swimming in richly decadent sponge, much to the disdain of onlookers. This sweet, buttery, sugar-filled opening sets the scene nicely for Lopez’s movie as it bathes us in a rich, luxurious, feel-good story. Like all good cakes Red, White & Royal Blue, based on Casey McQuiston’s bestseller, will have you asking for more after the first slice. Its sugar-glazed story may not appeal to all tastes, but there are some award-winning ingredients in this confident, bold and thoroughly entertaining rom-com.

For those who haven’t read the book, Alex Claremont-Diaz is the first son of the incumbent President Claremont in the United States (Uma Thurman). Meanwhile, across the Atlantic in the United Kingdom, Prince Henry’s life is a day-to-day ritual of royal duties as he navigates his role as a heavily controlled Royal pinup. Alex and Henry met before the infamous cake incident at Henry’s brother’s lavish wedding, and it’s fair to say they didn’t hit it off. Henry thinks Alex is brash, loud and utterly annoying, while Alex thinks Henry is stuck up, rigid and boring. But things are about to go from bad to worse as the Royal wedding descends into chaos. Therefore, as the tabloids circle, the Royal household and the White House enter a period of damage control by staging media interviews and hospital visits with Alex and Henry in tow. But as the staged events unfold, the ice between the first son and the Prince thaws, and an unspoken attraction bubbles to the surface. But can two male public figures, one political and one Royal, ever embrace their love in a world that denies their ability to be out, proud and free of the historical bullshit and rules surrounding them.

Matthew López’s 2018 play The Inheritance won countless awards and critical praise in London and New York as he reimagined E. M. Forster’s Howards End through the lens of New York’s gay community at the height of the AIDS epidemic. The Inheritance was emotional, humourous and powerful, drawing comparisons with Tony Kushner’s epic Angels in America in its narrative complexity and scale. At the time, I doubt anyone watching The Inheritance would have thought that Lopez’s arrival as a film director would centre on Red, White & Royal Blue; after all, tonally, it’s a world away from much of his stage work. Yet while Red, White & Royal Blue may be a very different beast to López’s previous work, his sense of stagecraft and deep knowledge of LGBTQ+ history shines through.

López embraces the classic rom-com vibe found in movies ranging from The Shop Around the Corner to Moonstruck while placing gay love and romance centre stage in a way the equally impressive Bros occasionally struggled to achieve. He gently explores themes of social change and the barriers that still prevent many in the public eye from expressing their love, especially those involved in politics and public life. As a result, while Red, White & Royal Blue may appear to be a sugar-coated rom-com at first glance, dig under the frosting, and Lopez’s film is a call for change and an urgent reminder that the journey to full equality is far from over.

Of course, any rom-com is only as good as the two lovers at its heart, and Taylor Zakhar Perez and Nicholas Galitzine are adorable in this film; their ability to bounce off one another with impeccable comic timing while reflecting the joy of gay love is the potion that makes Red, White & Royal Blue intoxicating. Here the connection between Alex and Henry always feels authentic, the sexual tension delicious, and the mild sex scenes romantic, steamy and compelling. Add an exemplary ensemble cast and some great cameos to this expertly crafted potion, and this modern queer fairytale sings even when it occasionally stumbles. Those stumbles include a range of weary stereotypes about the British stiff upper lip versus American confidence and a slightly simplistic exploration of Monarchy versus Republicanism. However, due to the performances, direction and pride held within Lopez’s film, all of these faults are instantly forgiven.

Not long ago, most gay love stories ended in tragedy, disappointment or loneliness, but that is changing, and it’s about time! Red, White & Royal Blue joins a list of new films that positively embrace gay love, so get out the bunting, crack open the fizz and celebrate the adorable union of Alex Claremont-Diaz and Prince Henry. Oh, and don’t forget the cake!