HallmarkYour carriage awaits… we’re getting the regal goods once again thanks to Hallmark’s new movie Royalish, dropping on the channel this weekend. But did you know there’s more to it than meets the eye?
Unlike other streaming services like Netflix or Prime Video, you can always rely on Hallmark for one thing: new, original content on a weekly basis. If you’re stuck on what to watch, chances are there’s something you’ve never seen before right around the corner.
Hallmark movie Royalish is next up, giving us the Princess Diaries level of fantasy we’ve been hoping will come true since we were kids. Not only is a heartwarming romance at the center, it’s got to sort of British royalty we all love to obsess over.
If March 15 is too long to wait, here’s five things you definitely didn’t know about Royalish before you watch it this weekend.
Royalish is set in a fictional version of Disneyland
You watch this trailer and tell me we’re not supposed to be in Magic Kingdom. Of course, we’re not actually in Disney because of copyright, but it damn well looks like it.
There’s a good reason for this though, and sets up the meat of our story. Royalish follows Lacey, who works as an amusement park princess. On one of her shifts, she befriends eight-year-old Rose, a real-life princess.
A little while later, and she’s recruited by her handsome father to travel to their kingdom and be the new governess. Just a normal day at work, then.
To the trained eye, there are a few Disney Easter eggs here. “Once Upon A Time Land” looks exactly like Cinderella’s castle, which sits at the end of Main Street at any of the global Magic Kindgoms.
Kids really can get dressed up and have afternoon tea with the princesses, too. In the parks, this happens in the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, with different packages allowing kids to get a full fairytale makeover.
While Lacey doesn’t resemble any Disney princess in particular, her colleague sitting right in the background five seconds in looks like Belle from Beauty and the Beast. Draw your own conclusions…
There’s a familiar face you’ll recognize
HallmarkTypically, you can think of a Hallmark cast as a rotating company of actors. A theater troupe, if you will. Instead of branching off to do other things, actors can rack up credits and credits of Hallmark projects without ever leaving the channel. Just look at Lacey Charbert’s branding as the “Queen of Hallmark.”
So you might be surprised to learn Nichole Sakura’s biggest credit is actually in hit comedy Superstore, playing Cheyenne Thompson for 106 episodes between 2015-2021. You might also recognize her from Shameless, taking up a guest role as Amanda between 2014-2016.
For the anime fans among us, there’s an extra Easter egg here. Makoto Shinkai’s impeccable 2023 movie Suzume also had an English dubbed release, with Sakura voicing the titular role.
Scandal is the name of the game
HallmarkIf you love the backstabbing and gossip of Bridgerton, Royalish will definitely be a film for you. As is the case in real-life as much as in fiction, dating somebody outside of what’s lined up for you is considered extremely taboo (just watch The Crown if you don’t believe me).
Obviously, nobody in Henry’s family wants to cause a scandal because some American nobody pretending to be a princess has suddenly rocked up to their stately home. Why would they? If anything, she’s making a mockery out of everything they stand for – just watch the ‘pinky’ scene at the very end of the trailer.
This can all only mean one thing: delicious betrayal from two disapproving and well-to-do royals. It goes without saying that our King and Queen will be the villains in this situation, but we don’t yet know just how much venom they can spill… and that’s exciting.
The cast has actual connections to royalty
HallmarkWilliam Moseley plays our leading prince, something he’s well versed with. He spent a great deal of time as Prince Liam on the binge-worthy TV show Royals, and also starred as Prince Karl of Hasse-Brandenberg in 2012’s Perception.
But his royal connections don’t stop there. He’s the 21st Great Grandson of King Robert the Bruce, who’s essentially Scotland’s most famous king. When Hollywood Ancestry first reported their findings, Moseley himself had no idea.
“Thank you so much for this too. It is just amazing. I had no idea about a lot of this. Truly incredible work,” he replied on Twitter back in 2021.
It won’t be the only royal movie on Hallmark in March
Fans can also find The Royal We and The Reluctant Royal coming to both The Hallmark Channel and Hallmark+ this month.
HallmarkIf Royalish isn’t enough on its own, here’s what you need to know.
The Royal We (March 2): When her older sister elopes with a non-royal, Princess Bea, who has lived her life away from her royal duties, must now step in and honor the arranged marriage to a small kingdom prince.
The Reluctant Royal (March 9): Philly mechanic Johnny is surprised to learn that his long-lost father is a duke. But the duke isn’t quite what he expected, nor are his growing feelings for the duke’s advisor Prudence.
Royalish premieres on The Hallmark Channel March 15 at 8/7c and will be available to stream on Hallmark+ shortly after. Catch up with everything happening in The Way Home and When Calls the Heart, alongside the best Hallmark TV shows of all time.
