Watch William & Catherine: A Royal Romance
- TV-PG
- 2011
- 1 hr 27 min
-
4.9 (536)
William & Catherine: A Royal Romance is a made-for-television movie that tells the story of Prince William and Catherine Middleton's relationship, from their college years at St. Andrews to their engagement and wedding in 2011. The film begins with William and Catherine meeting as students at university, where they soon become friends and study partners. Despite their different backgrounds, the two are drawn together by their shared interests and playful banter. As they get to know each other better, they begin to develop feelings for each other, although they initially try to ignore them.
Despite some bumps in the road, including William's brief dalliance with another woman and the intense scrutiny of the paparazzi, the couple's relationship endures. Their engagement in November 2010 is met with widespread excitement and anticipation, leading up to their highly publicized wedding the following April.
The movie offers a charming portrayal of William and Catherine's courtship, emphasizing their compatibility and the deep love they share for each other. Although the film takes some creative liberties with the story - for example, inventing a fictional moment where the couple dances together at a club - it largely sticks to the factual timeline of their relationship, relying heavily on news footage and public appearances to create an authentic sense of nostalgia.
The performances in the movie are uniformly strong. Dan Amboyer does an excellent job portraying a younger, carefree version of Prince William, capturing both his humor and his sense of responsibility. Jane Alexander, as the Queen, is a convincing figure of royal authority, while Alice St. Clair, who plays Catherine, captures the intelligence and grace of the real-life Duchess of Cambridge without slipping into caricature. Victor Garber, who plays Prince Charles, imbues the character with a sense of melancholy and duty, highlighting the complications of being a member of the royal family.
The movie is not without its flaws, however. Some scenes, such as a tense confrontation between William and Kate outside a nightclub, feel forced and contrived. The script also occasionally veers into sentimentality, with characters delivering speeches that verge on cliche. Additionally, the film's relatively short runtime means that some crucial moments in the relationship, such as William's proposal to Kate, are given short shrift.
Despite these shortcomings, William & Catherine: A Royal Romance is a charming movie that will appeal to fans of royal romance and nostalgia. The film offers a glimpse into the lives of two of the world's most famous people and their love story, which has captivated the world for over a decade. Although it may not be groundbreaking or especially deep, it succeeds in its goal of capturing the joy and sweetness of a modern fairy tale come to life.
William & Catherine: A Royal Romance is a 2011 drama with a runtime of 1 hour and 27 minutes. It has received mostly poor reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 4.9.