When a commoner marries a prince: Have a royal wedding film fest

So, you got up early and watched Harry and Meghan‘s royal wedding, but you want to continue to bask in that loving, royal glow.

Why not have a royal wedding film fest? Stay comfy in your pjs, brew up some more Earl Grey, and enjoy the romantic stories of commoners who became princesses.

Ever After: A Cinderella Story

In the original story of a commoner who married a prince, Drew Barrymore brilliantly stars as Danielle de Barbarac, the cinder girl, in the 1998 romantic and funny reimagining of the Cinderella fairytale.

Danielle is well-read, and has a great deal of feminist ambition, despite being a woman in the 16th century. Some could say that she is not unlike our current royal bride, Meghan Markle.

Co-starring is  Dougray Scott as the dashing Prince Henry, who, like our modern day Prince Harry, would rather not be royal. Danielle takes a reluctant prince and makes him see that he has the power to change the world into a better place, as the two fall in love, overcoming their social class.

Like the fairytale, Danielle goes to the ball, and no one will ever forget her dramatic entrance in a dedicate ballgown complete with luminescent wings, or her beautiful glass slippers.

Available on Amazon video, and DVD.

William & Kate: A Royal Romance

Assuming that you have already seen Lifetime’s recent movie, Harry & Meghan: A Royal Romance–and if not, watch it now–why not watch the love story of Prince William and Kate Middleton?

Wills and Kate married in 2011, but their romance took took about a decade before the couple married. This is the modern story of the commoner who married the future King of England.

Having met at university, the couple dated, split up, then after William was sure that Kate, nicknamed “the waiter” by the press, could handle the stress of being in the constant public light, the two became engaged.

This movie is quite a contrast to the short and intense romance between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, and royal watchers will enjoy revisiting William and Kate’s story now that the couple just celebrated their seven year anniversary.

Royally Ever After 

What happens when the guy you are dating has a kingdom-sized secret? In Royally Ever After, the premise is that a school teacher’s boyfriend proposes to her, and after Sara accepts, she discovers that Danny is actually the prince of a country called St. Ives.

Before the couple can even say their “I dos,” she must win over his discriminating parents, and she must learn the strict ways of the royals.

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Thankfully, her future sister-in-law is an ally, as the two forge a bond as Sara learns the proper princess etiquette and protocol, without losing herself. Set in a glorious landscaped, posh estate, with grand music, and romantic waltzing, surrounded by splendor, this is a delightful way to end a day of royal weddings.

The Hallmark Channel is strategically premiering the aptly titled, Royally Ever After on Meghan and Harry’s wedding day, May 19, at 9 p.m. ET. The entire royal wedding day is devoted to royal romance and even one of Meghan’s Hallmark movies, The Dater’s Handbook. It should be noted that closer to Independence Day, Markle’s other Hallmark movie Sparks Fly, is usually aired by the channel.

Coming to America

Eddie Murphy portrays the crown prince of Zamunda, Prince Akeem. He heads to Queens, New York in search of a queen of his own choosing, instead of having his parents set him up.

Determined he will find a woman that loves him for himself, he finds a job at a fast food burger joint, and there, he falls in love with the owner’s daughter, Lisa (Shari Headly).

Along with his sidekick, luxury loving pal, Semmi, portrayed by Arsenio Hall, Akeem seeks to win Lisa’s heart before his parents force him to do his duty and marry someone who only loves him for his money and prestige.

Funny and tender, this 1988 movie also features some very 80s hair and costumes.

The Crown

Now is a good time to get to know Meghan Markle’s new family. In The Crown, there are not a lot of commoners marrying any royals and keeping their royal status. This fascinating and well done Netflix series reveals all of the protocol, restrictions and rules forced upon the older generation of the royal family

For example, the whole reason that Queen Elizabeth’s father even became king was because Prince Edward, the Duke of Windsor, insisted on marrying American double-divorcee Wallace Simpson, and the rest is history.

Next: Where can you watch Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's royal wedding?

Not only does The Crown  teach royal history, but it also reveals the roles of the royal family members. The royals have now modernized a great deal in order to allow a divorced American actress to become part of the British royal family.