5 Holiday Hallmark Movies Featuring A Royal Romance, Ranked By Reviews

Hallmark Channel has long been a go-to comfort channel with season-themed movie releases, like the perfect Hallmark movies perfect for a lazy fall afternoon. So, it's only expected for the network to go all out during the holidays, and trust us, they do. Their holiday programming lineup, "Countdown to Christmas," is the pinnacle of seasonal comfort television. Within that lineup, there are standard holiday movies, and then there's a whole other tier: royal holiday romances. 

The channel has absolutely mastered this subgenre. While it can feel overdone, there's just something about the typical "everyday person falls for a secret prince" trope set during the holidays that hits the cozy seasonal spot every single time. It may be cliché, but sometimes cliché is just what you need when you're wrapped in your favorite blanket with a steaming mug of cocoa. That said, Women.com is sharing the best Hallmark holiday-themed movies featuring royal romances. And no, this time it won't be Hallmark Christmas movies based on your zodiac sign, but instead royal romance holiday movies ranked based on reviews.

Fifth on this list is "A Royal Queens Christmas," which was released in 2021 and proves that not every love story in the big city happens in Manhattan. Instead, this holiday romance takes viewers across the East River to Queens, where local neighborhood charm takes center stage. Starring Megan Park and Julian Morris, the story follows Dee Dee, a local baker who agrees to help organize a holiday children's pageant at the local community center. There, she meets Colin, a handsome man who volunteers to step in and assist, except it turns out he's royalty. 

This movie is as cliché and comforting as it gets for the holidays. A handsome prince wants to get away from his royal obligations, ends up in Queens, and becomes completely charmed by normalcy. The warmth of family, the importance of community, and a down-to-earth woman teach him what really matters during the holiday season. 

The movie earned an ok rating of 6.5/10 from more than 2k reviewers on IMDb, but it's a solid, cozy watch for anyone who loves a fun charming prince falls in love with normal life and woman story. As one reviewer noted when capturing the film's gentle appeal: "Though not one of Hallmark's best, 'A Royal Queens Christmas' is a sweet love story nonetheless. The movie draws on a very popular plot device: deception and mistaken identity." It's precisely that familiar, easygoing charm that makes it the perfect entry to kick off this list. 

Next on the list is "A Royal Christmas" from Hallmark's 2014 "Countdown to Christmas" program. And, it's another royal romance classic trope that will make you feel like you've stepped into a too-good-to-be-true fairytale. Starring Lacey Chabert, one of Hallmark's leading ladies who is stunning without makeup, alongside Stephen Hagan and screen legend Jane Seymour. 

Emily and Leo are the most seemingly normal couple living in Philadelphia. Emily is a seamstress, and Leo is completing an MBA program, but a holiday trip to Leo's home country of Cordinia changes everything. Right before they leave, Leo drops a massive bombshell: he's a prince and the sole heir to the Cordinia throne. This holiday royal romance has everything. It has fairy tale love story and exudes "Maid in Manhattan" vibes, but there's also drama with the boyfriend's mother or queen that kind of gives the movie a soap opera feel in the best, warm way possible. 

With over 5,000 reviews on IMDb, which is an impressive achievement for a holiday TV movie, it's clearly a timeless staple that fans keep revisiting year after year. With a 6.6/10-star rating, there were a couple of critiques that held some viewers back from scoring it higher. A few reviewers felt the depiction of European royal protocol wasn't entirely accurate, while others noted that the story leaned almost too heavily into predictable, formulaic beats. Nonetheless, this story is a fun romcom that viewers are sure to enjoy.

Although it placed third on the list, "The Royal Nanny" might be the most refreshing take on holiday royal romances that Hallmark has ever delivered. Instead of the usual go-to formula where an everyday American cluelessly stumbles into a fairytale romance with an undercover prince, "The Royal Nanny" pivots into a warm 007 operation meets "Mary Poppins" dynamic. 

Rachel Skarsten plays Claire, an MI5 agent who must protect Princess Rose and her children after a security breach threatens the palace. While she's determined to keep her focus entirely on threat assessment, security protocols, and child care, as the days pass, she finds herself utterly charmed by the children's uncle, Prince Colin, and the royal family's genuine warmth.

This movie is perfect for those looking for something with a little extra action sprinkled with Christmas vibes to the max. This 2023 release maintains a 6.7/10-star rating from more than 2.6k reviews. A reviewer admitted he's not a fan of Hallmark's usual royal romance tropes and cringes when his wife turns them on, but found this one "surprisingly different and quite entertaining." Another user wrote, "I really enjoyed this movie. The touch of suspense/thriller is a nice twist from the usual Hallmark romance film plotline that was great to see." The festive decor at the palace and around London, as well as the action sequences, add an unexpected layer of excitement to this royal romance. 

If you love the royal romance tropes, you know another typical one is the kind woman who gives shelter to a stranger during a snowstorm, only to discover he's royalty. Hallmark's 2020 "One Royal Holiday" takes this beloved cozy premise and turns it into a sparkling winter treat with Broadway royalty gracing the screen. 

Being the big-hearted person she is, Anna, played by Laura Osnes, lets a mother and son stay in her Connecticut home until a snowstorm passes. It's just that they're not any mother-and-son duo, but a queen and prince from Galwick. Thanks to Anna, these royals will get the royal small-town treatment complete with tree lightings, sweet holiday treats, and normal people clothes instead of formal and stiff palace attire. Its powerhouse cast, the beautiful setting of the holidays in Connecticut, and the chemistry between the leads make "One Royal Holiday" rank comfortably second on this list. 

With more than 3,100 reviews and an impressive 6.9/10-star rating on IMDb, this pick stands out as one of Hallmark's highest-rated holiday offerings. Almost 70% of the reviewers gave the movie a 7-star rating or higher with almost 600 of them giving it a perfect 10/10. A user gave an 8-star rating, noting, "I have to admit, this has to be one of Hallmark's best productions in a long time...it felt new, and I loved the improved concept of the royal element in this." Broadway talent and cozy holiday magic make this movie a solid number two. 

Finally, we have our No. 1 Hallmark holiday royal romance movie, and it's "Crown for Christmas." This movie was released in 2015 and stars Danica McKellar and Rupert Penry-Jones. If "A Royal Christmas" will remind viewers of "Maid in Manhattan," this movie is practically Hallmark's version of the Jennifer Lopez classic, but the fairytale version. 

Allie works as a maid for a hotel in NYC...well at least, she did. After getting fired, her life is literally swept up into a fairytale when she ends up a temporary governess for a royal princess in Winshire. Allie's genuine warmth and festive spirit quickly bring joy back into the stuffy and quite glum palace. And it's not just the palace that is affected by her positive light, but also King Max, played by Rupert Penry-Jones. This story is something women will dream about at least once in their lives, and all the holiday cheer makes it so much better. 

The sheer number of reviews and stellar ratings make it clear that audiences agree. Holding a 6.9/10-star rating on IMDb from over 6,700 reviews, this movie holds the highest review count and the most 10/10-star ratings of any film on this list. A 10/10-star reviewer wrote, "This is one of my FAVORITE movies, and every time it's on, I watch it . I love the snowball fight and just the whole story. However, I wish they would make a part 2 showing the two of them getting married." 

The holiday season is all about giving, so Women.com thought we'd surprise our readers with a bonus Hallmark holiday featuring a royal romance movie recommendation. It's all in the title, but "A Royal Corgi Christmas" features an adorable corgi named Mistletoe. And a corgi couldn't be more fitting for a royal romance, as they were the breed loved by the late Queen Elizabeth II, who had more than 30 Pembroke Welsh corgis in throughout her life. 

As his name, Mistletoe, hints, the cute pup unintentionally plays the matchmaker between Prince Edmond, played by Jordan Renzo, and an American canine expert, Cecily, played by Hunter King. As you might suspect, Cecily is tasked with training Mistletoe, who can be a bit rambunctious, before he attends the annual royal Christmas Ball. He's quite the troublemaker, so Cecily's hands are full, but she just might also have time for a little holiday romance with the royal prince along the way. This movie is perfect for those who love a lighthearted dog-themed holiday movie like "Beethoven's Christmas Adventure" or "The Christmas Shepherd." 

The average rating for the movie is a lukewarm 5.8/10 on IMDb, but do keep in mind that it's our bonus recommendation. And it's just an easy movie to hit play on and watch mindlessly while doing other things. 

As this article was dedicated to curating the absolute best Hallmark holiday movies featuring royal romances based on reviews, we evaluated both overall star ratings and total user engagement on IMDb to ensure these rankings reflect true fan favorites. We looked at the volume of reviews, the overall star ratings, and the consistency of positive feedback across the reviews for each title. 

There were also instances in which two movies had the same rating score, such as "Crown for Christmas" and "One Royal Holiday." These two picks were neck and neck when just looking at the average rating, as they both sat around a 6.9/10-star average. To break the tie and determine which one would take the number one spot, we looked at the total volume of reviews and deep fan engagement on IMDb. "Crown for Christmas" was easily able to take the crown, as it sat with over 6,700 reviews and more than 1,200 10/10-star reviews compared to "One Royal Holiday's" 3,100 reviews and 566 10/10-star reviews. 

By balancing weighted rating averages, review volume, and audience sentiment alongside key elements like cast chemistry, trope execution, and level of cozy holiday charm, the approach we took highlights the definitive top royal holiday romances that longtime Hallmark fans truly adore.