''A Princess for Christmas'', billed in the UK as ''A Christmas Princess: Sometimes Dreams Come True'' (previously known as the Canadian title ''Christmas at Castlebury Hall'' and ''A Princess for Castlebury'') is a 2011 American

made-for-television A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made for ...

comedy-drama film Comedy drama, also known by the portmanteau ''dramedy'', is a genre of dramatic works that combines elements of comedy and drama. The modern, scripted-television examples tend to have more humorous bits than simple comic relief seen in a typical ...

directed by

Michael Damian Michael Damian Weir (born April 26, 1962) is an American actor, recording artist, and producer, best known for his role as Danny Romalotti on the soap opera ''The Young and the Restless'', which he played from 1980 to 1998 and again in 2002-2004, ...

and starring

Roger Moore Sir Roger George Moore (14 October 192723 May 2017) was an English actor. He was the third actor to portray fictional British secret agent James Bond in the Eon Productions film series, playing the character in seven feature films between 19 ...

Katie McGrath Katie McGrath () is an Irish actress. In television, she gained recognition for portraying Morgana Pendragon in the BBC One series ''Merlin'' (2008–2012), Lucy Westenra on the British-American series ''Dracula'' (2013–2014), Saskia in the ...

Sam Heughan Sam, SAM or variants may refer to: Places * Sam, Benin * Sam, Boulkiemdé, Burkina Faso * Sam, Bourzanga, Burkina Faso * Sam, Kongoussi, Burkina Faso * Sam, Iran * Sam, Teton County, Idaho, United States, a populated place People and fictional ...

Charlotte Salt Charlotte Salt (born 12 August 1985) is an English actress best known for her many characters in British and US television series such as ''Casualty'', '' Bedlam'' and ''The Musketeers'', also in many films, including '' Beneath Still Waters'' i ...

, Leilah de Meza, and

Travis Turner Travis Turner (born May 9, 1987), also known as "Little T" or "T", is a Canadian actor and rapper. Early life Turner was born in the small town of Oliver, British Columbia, and finished high school in Alberta. He began his career at the age of ...

. The film premiered December 3, 2011 on

Hallmark Channel The Hallmark Channel is an American television channel owned by Crown Media Holdings, Inc., which in turn is owned by Hallmark Cards, Inc. The channel's programming is primarily targeted at families, and features a mix of television movies and ...

Plot

Jules Daly is an antique store worker in

Buffalo, New York Buffalo is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of New York (behind only New York City) and the seat of Erie County. It is at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of the Niagara River, and is across the Canadian border from South ...

who becomes the

legal guardian A legal guardian is a person who has been appointed by a court or otherwise has the legal authority (and the corresponding duty) to make decisions relevant to the personal and property interests of another person who is deemed incompetent, call ...

of her niece Maddie and nephew Milo after the loss of her sister and brother-in-law. Maddie is a fun-loving girl and Milo is a rebel and troublemaking teenager. After Jules gets fired by Arthur due to financial problems and the children's babysitter Mrs. Kelly quits following Maddie's pranks, Jules reprimands Maddie for driving the nanny away and grounds Milo for sneaking out, shoplifting a game, and decapitating Maddie's doll to keep her quiet. In addition, Milo doesn't want to go get a Christmas tree with Jules due to the fact that Christmas reminds him of his parents' death. Paisley Winterbottom the butler of the children's wealthy grandfather, Duke Edward appears with an invitation for Milo and Maddie to spend the Christmas holidays with his employer in the country of Castlebury. Jules initially refuses, but decides to go for the children's sake when Paisley claims that the Duke is ill. Arriving at the palace where the Duke is in good health, Jules meets Prince Ashton, the brother of her sister's husband Charles and falls in love with him. Looking around, she finds no Christmas trees and asks the Duke why there are none. He replies he doesn't like them. However, Jules takes Maddie out to get a tree and then they all decorate it. Edward finds out and becomes furious until Maddie hands him an ornament, which turns out to be the same one his brother had given him when they were children. Finally appreciating the spirit of the season, he tells Paisley to send invitations out for a Christmas Eve ball. While teaching Milo archery, Ashton talks about his brother Charles and how the Duke disowned him for marrying Jules' sister which led to Jules' resentment towards the Duke. Maddie manages to warm her grandfather's warm heart enough to get him to change his opinion towards Christmas. Overhearing Ashton and Edward speaking disapprovingly of someone "untitled" and "crass" they'd rather not invite to the ball, Jules mistakenly believes it to be about her, though they are actually talking about someone else. When the staff accidentally burns Jules' dress, she takes this as an excuse not to attend. Jules, feeling unwelcome, decides to go back to the USA early only telling the children. Despite their efforts to make her stay, she leaves, asking them not to tell anyone until she is gone. The housekeeper Mrs. Birch finds that Jules is missing. So she and Paisley lead some members of the staff to retrieve her. They pick her up the train station while also having a dress brought in from Vienna. Meanwhile at the ball, Ashton verifies his girlfriend, Lady Arabella, only wants him for his title. Jules arrives at the ball. When Ashton finds her, she says she is trying to not be an embarrassment. Confused, he asks for an explanation. After Jules explains her eavesdropping, Ashton clears things up, noting that the woman they called an "awful grizzly woman" was Bunny McCracken, who hates children. They then dance. Arabella and her parents unsuccessfully attempt to turn Edward and Ashton against Jules, then storm out. Ashton asks Jules to extend their stay and she agrees. The family then "catches" Santa putting gifts under the Christmas tree. Sometime later, Jules and Ashton are married, and their friends and family watch as they ride off in a coach together.

Cast

as Edward, the

Duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are ran ...

of Castlebury. *

as Jules Daly *

Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. Th ...

Ashton, the prince of Castlebury and Edward's son. *

as Lady Arabella Marchand du Belmont, Prince Ashton's girlfriend. * Leilah de Meza as Maddie Huntington, Jules' niece. *

as Milo Huntington, Jules' nephew. *

Miles Richardson Miles Richardson (born 15 July 1963) is a British actor, born in Battersea, London to parents Ian Richardson (the well-known Shakespearean actor) and Maroussia Frank (daughter of dancer and critic Elizabeth Frank), both founder members of th ...

as Paisley Winterbottom, Edward's butler. * Maria Junghietu as Mrs. Kelly, Milo and Maddy's former babysitter. * Oxana Moravic as Mrs Birch, Edward's housekeeper. * Madalina Anea as Abigail, a housemaid who works for Edward. * Florin Busuioc as Lord du Belmont, Lady Arabella's father. * Anca Varlan as Bunny McCracken, a grizzly woman who hates children. *

as Arthur (uncredited), the owner of the antique store who fires Jules due to financial troubles.

Production

In August 2008, writer and director

told ''

OK Magazine ''OK!'' is a British weekly magazine that primarily specialises in royal and celebrity news. Originally launched as a monthly magazine, its first issue was published in April 1997. In September 2004, ''OK''! launched in Australia as a monthly ...

'' that he was "working on a screenplay called ''Christmas At Castlebury Hall''". The film was shot at Peleş Castle, Stirbei Castle, the Bragadiru Palace and at

MediaPro Studios Bucharest Film Studios (Media Pro Studios) in Romania is Eastern Europe's largest and longest established film studios with a tradition in cinema spanning almost 70 years. The complex is located in the town of Buftea, 20 kilometers north-west o ...

Bucharest Bucharest ( , ; ro, București ) is the capital and largest city of Romania, as well as its cultural, industrial, and financial centre. It is located in the southeast of the country, on the banks of the Dâmbovița River, less than north of ...

Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...

February and March 2011. The film's cinematographer is Viorel Sergovici.
On July 16,

announced the film's new name: ''A Princess for Christmas''.

Accolades

, +

Movieguide Awards The Movieguide Awards is an annual award ceremony for Christian entertainment held every year in Hollywood and broadcast on the Hallmark Channel around the same time as the Academy Awards. The awards are commonly described as "The Christian Osca ...

– ''A Princess for Christmas'' , - , 2011 , Most Inspirational Television Acting , Grace Award:

, , - , 2011 , Most Inspirational Television Acting , Grace Award:

References

External links