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Royally Wrapped for Christmas Plot Summary
The director of a charity organization travels to a kingdom to unwittingly be assessed for a position with the royal family's philanthropic efforts and falls in love with the prince.
Starring: Jen Lilley and Brendan Fehr
My movie grade: A+
Festive Heart Foundation
At Christmas time, movies about generosity resonate with viewers, and in this story, Jen Lilley plays Lindsay Peterson--the ultimate do-gooder.
Lindsay feels like a nobody who is never good enough, so she hides behinds the scenes at the charity organization she runs in Brooklyn, despite being the most successful director for the global outreach.
Festive Heart Foundation is based in the kingdom of Veronia, and it was founded by Queen Helena 100 years previously. It all started when Helena visited a local orphanage and gave her first gift to a child in need. The joy of helping children experience Christmas inspired her to start the foundation, and the royal family continued to build upon it for generations.
When Willard Harlow visits Lindsay's New York outreach, he invites her to Veronia to help with the Festive Heart Foundation gala, since they will be celebrating its 100-year anniversary. Willard is accompanied by the prince, whom Lindsay assumes is an accountant, and he is quite charmed by her.
If Willard (Michael Hanrahan) looks familiar, you may remember seeing him in Hallmark's A Royal Queen's Christmas. He played Whitbey, the Prince's personal assistant.
Three Directors Are in the Running
When Lindsay arrives in Veronia, she joins Tilly and Shane, both top Festive Heart Foundation directors, in planning the gala.
Shane senses Willard will be announcing his retirement, and he's determined to be selected as his replacement. He asks Lindsay for her ideas, and when she shares her creativity, he steals them and presents them to Willard as his own.
Lindsay doesn't punch him in the face or get even, like most of us would be tempted to do, but handles the awkward situation with grace. It pays off because when it comes to expanding on the premise, Shane comes up empty, and Lindsay gets to shine.
Lindsay has a pure heart. She does her job for all the right reasons, not to score a promotion. By the end of the movie, she develops the self-confidence that had previously eluded her.
A Little Mystery
The portrait of former Queen Lilibeth hangs on the room in which Lindsay is assigned for her stay. It turns out, quite a bit of mystery enshrouds Lilibeth's reign, and when the truth comes out, it ultimately helps Lindsay in ways she couldn't have imagined.
In the meantime, Princess Dahlia arrives at the castle. Per tradition, Prince Aidan is expected to propose, but Dahlia has a secret of her own.
A New Tradition is Born
Lindsay's vision for the foundation is innovative, but to get everyone on board requires some creative storytelling. Lindsay and Tilly fashion boxes for the Prince to open during the gala. The first five boxes share the history of the Festive Heart Foundation while the sixth and final box unveils plans for the future.
What are those plans? Lindsay incorporates her own family tradition into the foundation. Each year, the foundation will give each child two presents instead of one--one to keep and one to give. The goal is to teach young people how to develop a heart bent towards generosity and to then spread that spirit throughout the world to bring peace--a noble endeavor. Sounds like a wonderful tradition we could all borrow!
One of GAC's Best 2021 Original Christmas Movies
This movie earns an A+ rating. It draws from the usual treasure chest of tropes but adds fresh ones, too. For example, Prince Aidan shares that as a child, his father fashioned snowmen after real people. For fun, both Aidan and Lindsay build a snowman and make it look like Willard. When Willard sees it, he recognizes himself immediately and quips what a handsome fellow it is.
Lindsay also shares a wise nugget about the job of best friends. In her case, the BFF is Monica, and Monica always tells her what she needs to hear, even when it's not what she wants to hear. Lindsay says, "Everyone needs a friend who tells the truth." Do you have a best friend who tells you hard truths?
When Royally Wrapped for Christmas re-airs, you won't want to miss it!
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