On The Silver Screen: "History, huh? Bet We could make some."
- Noah Kennedy
- Feb 14, 2024
- 5 min read
What do you get when you cross the First Son of the United States and a British Prince? An international love affair that will have heads turning all over the globe. That's precisely what Casey McQuiston brings to life in their highly acclaimed Red, White & Royal Blue, released in 2019. It is a story that cuts to the heart of every reader and portrays a gay love story that is as heartfelt as it is heartwrenching. McQuiston has been praised for their fantastic talent with dialogue and characters for her work on the novel, which continues to be one of the most widely known and beloved pieces of Queer literature to date.
While the story's plot is a bit removed from the reality of the life of the actual royals, there is something so attractive about the narrative that McQuiston weaves that draws you into the characters. Alex, with his heartthrob persona struggling to come to terms with who he is and what he wants in life, and Henry, with his boy-next-door charm and the pressures of the monarchy weighing down on his shoulders, make for one hell of a match. Between international trips, a fake friendship, late-night conversations, and an email chain of love quotes, McQuiston presents a stunning tale of rivals-to-friends-to-lovers that will have even the coldest hearts melting away. And if you don't yet understand the reference below, watch the movie because, trust me, you will.
An International Love Affair
Red, White & Royal Blue follows Alex Claremont-Diaz, the bi-racial, bi-sexual son of the first female President of the United States. Alex has grown up with his parents in the political world, and from the moment his mother won the election, he has been part of the "White House trio" alongside his sister, June, and Nora, the granddaughter of the Vice President. When they travel to England for the royal wedding of the Crown Prince, we meet Henry, the younger of the British Princes and Alex's arch-nemesis. From the start, the two are at each other's throats, and when one scandalous picture causes an international scandal, the two men are forced to fake a friendship for the tabloids to repair their image. As they do, they find that love does not conform to their whims, and they just might find that the greatest victory of all is each other.
After its release in 2019, the book was quickly and widely embraced by the Queer and literature communities. McQuiston's work has been praised across the board while receiving criticism for the unrealistic plot, but that did not deter readers from elevating Red, White & Royal Blue to near cult-classic status within the world of Queer literature. The author was blown away by the response the book received, having been a product of their watching the 2016 Presidential election while reading a book on the royals that inspired them to develop the story. The same year it was released, Red, White & Royal Blue won the Goodreads Choice Award for Best Romance and Best Debut, and the following year, in 2020, the novel won an Alex Award. But the distinctions do not end there, as, in August of 2023, Red, White & Royal Blue was added to the Library of Congress's LGBTQ+ collection for preservation.
First Son Alex Claremont-Diaz is the closest thing to a prince this side of the Atlantic. With his intrepid sister and the Veep’s genius granddaughter, they’re the White House Trio, a beautiful millennial marketing strategy for his mother, President Ellen Claremont. International socialite duties do have downsides—namely, when photos of a confrontation with his longtime nemesis Prince Henry at a royal wedding leak to the tabloids and threaten American/British relations. The plan for damage control: staging a fake friendship between the First Son and the Prince. As President Claremont kicks off her reelection bid, Alex finds himself hurtling into a secret relationship with Henry that could derail the campaign and upend two nations. What is worth the sacrifice? How do you do all the good you can do? And, most importantly, how will history remember you? |
When Alex and Henry find themselves wrapped up in a secret love affair that threatens to topple both the people's support of a closeted Henry and the reelection campaign of Alen's mother, the two must learn to find their happiness outside of the public's eye. But as family, friends, and an ensemble group of supporting characters that speak to the mastery of McQuiston's writing are thrown into the mix, loving each other in secret is not as easy as they had first thought. It is a story of strength, perserverence, self-discovery, and finding the courage to be who you are. In the end, the only thing that matters is how much Alex and Henry are willing to sacrifice for the love they find in each other? And, more importantly, in the words of the incomparable President Ellen Claremont, they need to figure out if they "feel forever about him."
Good Foreign Policy (and just Common Sense)
The Same year of its release, the film rights to the novel were won by Amazon Studios and in 2021, it was announced that Matthew Lopez (The inheritance) would be directing the film and writing the script. A year later the world had its Alex -Diaz and Prince Henry in Taylor Zakhar Perez (The Kissing Booth 2) and Nicholas Galitzine (Purple Hearts). It was news that broke the interne---or at the very least the fandom---and it was only fittign that the rest of the cast was just the cherry on top of the cake (wink, wink).
IN additional to its leads, the cast was rounded out by Uma Thurman (Pulp Fiction) as President Ellen Claremont, Clifton Collins Jr. (The Last Castle) as Senator Oscar Diaz, Sarah Shahi (Reverie) as Zahra Bankston, Rachel Hilson (Love, Victor) as Nora Holleran, Stephen Fry (Wilde) as King James III, and Ellie Bamber (Willow) as Princess Beatrice. They were joined by Thomas Flynn, Malcolm Atobrah, Akshay Khanna, Sharon D. Clarke, Aneesh Sheth, and Juan Castano is supporitng roles. Special guest apearances included Joy Reid and Rachel Maddow who portrayed thei rreal-life selves in news snippets within the film as well as a special cameo by author Casey McQuiston.
Based on the novel of the same name, this story focuses on Alex Claremont-Diaz, the First Son of the president of the United States, and his rivalry with the young prince of England, Henry. After causing a major uproar at the prince's brother's wedding, the two are forced to avoid a national incident by playing up their non-existent friendship. Their rivalry soon turns into a forced friendship and then blossoms into something even more. The two try to keep their relationship a secret despite their highly public lives amid Alex's mother's re-election campaign as the first female President. |
The film has recieved mixed reviews although its Rotten Tomatoes score sits at a comfortable 76% on its "Tomatometer" from critics who claim the film is your typical rom-com that "embraces inclusion whithout fallign abck on stereotypes." The "Audience Score" puts it at 93% with the general consensus being that a sequel is a must for the film that leaves you pining for more at its conclusion. It was Broan Lowry (CNN Entertainment) who we feel truly summarized what Red, White & Royal Blue (the film) is struly about. Lowry states the film "is at its core a fairy-tale romance -- only where the challenge isn;t the customary wicked stepmother o malevolent witch, but rather what happens when true love finds two princes, not one."
A Master Storyteller
Casey McQuiston is a Queer, Non-Binary author of romantic comedies including Red, White & Royal Blue, One Last Stop, I Kissed Shara Wheeler, and their upcoming fourth book, The Pairing. McQiuston has distinguished themself as a true master of the pen with their masterful dialogue and ability to craft characters--both leading and supporting--that cut through the page and touch their readers. They were born and raised in the South and currently live and works in New york City.
You can keep up to date with McQuiston and their works by visiting their website caseymcquiston.com
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