Calling all rom-com, romance, and all-around love fans everywhere! It’s August, and that means it’s time for the release of another anticipated adaptation: Red, White & Royal Blue. Based on the viral 2019 novel of the same name by author Casey McQuiston, RWRB tells the tale of English Prince Henry and First Son Alex, and their enemies-to-lovers relationship arc. To say that romance readers were excited about a screen adaptation of this beloved rom-com would be an understatement, and it stands to reason that folks were itching to see the results of the drama, the tension, the swooning, and the changes made to the movie.
We’ve all come to expect that a screen adaptation of a popular book will often make changes from its source material-sometimes minor adjustments, and sometimes major deviations. So how do the changes to Red, White & Royal Blue stack up against other adaptations? Let’s take a look at the most major differences between the book and the movie.
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Where Are All Of The Characters?
The biggest takeaway from RWRB is probably the characters-or really, the lack thereof. Several characters have had their roles cut down significantly, or simply been axed altogether. The most glaring example of this is probably June Claremont-Diaz. In the novel, Alex has a tenacious older sister nicknamed Junebug, who helps to guide Alex through many of his more tumultuous moments, and along with Nora makes up a third of the “White House Three”. Her missing character, along with Nora’s quirks and screen time being seriously reduced make for a much less fun friend group dynamic for Alex.
Along with June, the characters of stepfather Leo and congressman Rafael Luna are also noticeably absent from the film, massively changing the conflicts within the story and the dynamics between multiple characters. But more on that later.
Alex’s Parents Aren’t Divorced
In the book, one of the biggest triggers for Alex’s anxiety revolves around his parents’ divorce. This happened years back, and Ellen Claremont has since remarried her second husband Leo. The relationship between Ellen and Oscar is contentious at best, and Alex is forever irritated by the strain that their sniping puts on holidays and other events. This lack of tension makes for some particularly flat scenes with the incredibly talented Uma Thurman and Clifton Collins Jr.
Bea’s Backstory Is Nonexistent
Throughout the course of the story, Henry’s sister Princess Beatrice is a constant supporter of him and spends much of the novel cheering for his and Alex’s relationship. It’s revealed throughout communication between the two leads that Bea had previously struggled with a cocaine addiction, a scandal that saw her repeatedly berated by UK tabloids. With Ellie Bamber having almost no screen time in Red, White & Royal Blue, her character is barely shaded in or given much of a personality at all.
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The Queen Is Now A King
Unsurprisingly, when author Casey McQuiston wrote RWRB she included a female monarch. The film takes a different approach, with a King stepping into the role instead. Played by the incomparable Stephen Fry, the king could have been a major source of conflict and tension in the film, but he’s largely underutilized and winds up feeling like more of an afterthought than anything else.
Most Of The Major Conflicts Are Missing From The Movie
As previously stated, Red, White & Royal Blue has cut many characters from the film, including Senator Rafael Luna. In the novel, Luna is a close friend of the Claremont-Diaz family, and somewhat of a role model for Alex. He appears to betray the trust of the family and begin working with the enemy, but ultimately reveals himself to be a sort of double agent by the end of the book. As his character is cut from the movie, RWRB needs a quasi-villain of sorts to take his place. Enter political reporter Miguel Ramos, who has romantic leanings towards Alex and is the person to vindictively leak the private emails between Henry and Alex to the public.
This, along with a lack of consequence doled out to the character, makes for a much more bland conflict, and negates much of the personal impact that the events have on Henry, Alex, and his family. Miguel’s character is also not someone who has tons of screen time, which in turn makes his evil-doing tendencies that much less impressive. Filmmakers are often faced with difficult choices when adapting a property, and writer-director Matthew Lopez indicated that he needed to make some major cuts in order to fit Alex and Henry’s story into a two-hour film.
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Red, White & Royal Blue does what it can with the time it’s given, however it greatly suffers from a lack of supporting characters and more severe conflicts. While Sarah Shahi provides a much-needed performance as Zahra, and Taylor Zakhar Perez and Nicholas Galitzine share some sweet chemistry as Alex and Henry respectively, the film fails to provide an audience with the layers that it could have benefitted from.
