The Red, White & Royal Blue movie keeps the wedding cake disaster, the secret romance and the election that put Alex Claremont-Diaz and Prince Henry under a spotlight. But several of the book’s biggest relationships change on screen. Alex’s sister June and his political mentor, Senator Rafael Luna, disappear, while Henry answers to a king instead of a queen. Comparing Casey McQuiston’s 2019 novel with the 2023 adaptation means looking at how those changes reshape the love story, too.
Below, we break down the book vs. movie differences, explain the ending and separate the upcoming film sequel, Red, White & Royal Wedding, from McQuiston’s new novella. Spoilers follow for the original book and movie.
‘Red, White & Royal Blue’ Book: Plot and Awards
Alex is the son of America’s first woman president; Henry belongs to Britain’s royal family. When their feud ends in a very public wedding cake disaster, damage control requires them to pretend they’re friends. The staged friendship develops into a romance that neither family can easily keep out of the headlines. Alex’s mother, President Ellen Claremont, also has a reelection campaign to win, making his private life part of a much larger political story.
St. Martin’s Griffin published the novel on May 14, 2019. It won that year’s Goodreads Choice Awards for debut novel and romance. The American Library Association followed with a 2020 Alex Award. McQuiston uses they/them pronouns.
The Prime Video Movie: Cast, Director and Rating
Taylor Zakhar Perez plays Alex opposite Nicholas Galitzine’s Henry. Uma Thurman is President Ellen Claremont, and Stephen Fry plays Henry’s grandfather, King James III, replacing the book’s Queen Mary. Rachel Hilson appears as Nora, Ellie Bamber as Princess Beatrice and Thomas Flynn as Prince Philip. Malcolm Atobrah plays Henry’s friend Pez.
Matthew López directed the R-rated adaptation, which arrived on Prime Video on August 11, 2023. The trailer introduces the cast and the public-relations disaster that brings Alex and Henry together.
Book vs Movie Differences Side by Side
| What changes | Book (2019) | Movie (2023) |
|---|---|---|
| Alex’s family | Alex’s parents, Ellen and Oscar, are divorced. His family also includes his sister June and his stepfather, Leo. | Ellen and Oscar are still married, and Alex is an only child. Removing June and Leo gives him a smaller family circle. |
| The monarch | Henry’s grandmother, Queen Mary, is the reigning monarch and the royal authority he must confront about his relationship. | Stephen Fry plays Henry’s grandfather, King James III. The family relationship changes, but Henry still faces pressure from the head of the monarchy. |
| Henry’s mother, Catherine | Catherine stands up to Queen Mary after Alex and Henry’s relationship becomes public, giving Henry an ally within the royal family. | Catherine is mentioned but does not appear on screen. Henry has to speak up for himself when he faces the king. |
| Princess Beatrice | Beatrice has a history of cocaine addiction and rehab. Details of her rehab become public in the email leak. | Beatrice remains a supportive sister, but her role is smaller. The film leaves out her addiction and recovery storyline. |
| Senator Rafael Luna | Rafael Luna is an openly gay Latino senator from Colorado and a political mentor to Alex. | Luna does not appear in the film. His absence removes an important mentor from Alex’s life and reduces the novel’s political subplot. |
| Journalist Miguel Ramos | Miguel does not appear in the novel. His personal history with Alex and his part in the film’s leak storyline are additions to the adaptation. | Juan Castano plays Miguel, a Politico reporter who previously hooked up with Alex. He connects Alex’s private life with the press scrutiny around the romance. |
| Alex’s bisexuality | Henry’s kiss prompts Alex to recognize that he is bisexual and reconsider his earlier experiences with his friend Liam. | Alex already acknowledges his attraction to men, including a past hookup with Miguel. The film gives less time to the process of understanding his sexuality. |
| The email leak | The leak is tied to Republican presidential candidate Jeffrey Richards’ side, linking the exposure of the romance to Ellen’s reelection campaign. | The film suggests Miguel is behind the leak but never confirms who is responsible. That leaves the culprit less clearly established than in the book. |
| Texas and the election | Texas turns blue, and Ellen wins reelection. The election gives the novel a political resolution alongside Alex and Henry’s romantic one. | Ellen also wins Texas in the film. The ending emphasizes Alex’s campaign strategy and his contribution to his mother’s victory. |
Characters the Movie Cut, From June to Rafael Luna
Without June, Alex loses a sibling who knows him outside the presidential bubble. Nora picks up much of her confidante role, along with Pez’s romantic attention. W Magazine’s Max Gao called June “the most glaring omission from the film.”
López explained the decision in an interview with Awards Focus: combining June and Nora gave one supporting character more to do, and making Alex an only child helped convey his personality without the novel’s narration. It was a choice about how to tell Alex and Henry’s story on screen, rather than a sign that June was unimportant to the book.
The cuts also include Rafael Luna, Alex’s high school friend Liam and Nora’s grandfather. Together, these omissions narrow the film’s view of Alex’s life. Readers get more of his political ambitions, friendships and family dynamics, while the movie spends more of its time with the central couple.
How the Email Leak and Texas Finale Change
Miguel Ramos brings a different complication to the movie. Played by Juan Castano, the Politico reporter has a sexual history with Alex, putting a former hookup on the other side of the press coverage. The film points toward Miguel as the source of the email leak without confirming it. The book ties the leak to Republican candidate Jeffrey Richards’ side, making the political connection more explicit.
The emails matter for more than the scandal. On the page, they give Alex and Henry room to describe feelings they cannot easily share in public. The movie condenses that correspondence into a montage, so viewers spend less time inside the messages before they become news. Texas still matters in both endings: Ellen wins the state and the presidency, with the movie emphasizing Alex’s campaign strategy. The broad outcome stays the same even as the political story leading to it gets shorter.
Alex’s Bisexual Awakening on the Page vs on Screen
Henry’s New Year’s Eve kiss leads the book’s Alex to reconsider how he understands his sexuality. He has already had experiences with his high school friend Liam; the kiss helps him recognize and name his bisexuality. That distinction matters. Henry does not create Alex’s attraction to men, but their relationship gives him a reason to examine feelings he had not fully understood.
The movie introduces an Alex who already acknowledges that attraction, including his past with Miguel. His relationship with Henry still brings the challenge of coming out to his mother and navigating a very public life, but the film spends less time on his internal process. Alex is bisexual in both versions; the difference is how much of his self-discovery the audience gets to follow.
‘Red, White & Royal Wedding’: Sequel Release Date and Cast
A sequel has been official since May 2024, and it now has a name: Red, White & Royal Wedding. Jamie Babbit takes over directing duties from López. Her credits include But I’m a Cheerleader, a fixture on our best lesbian movies list. López remains involved as a writer, sharing screenplay credit with Gemma Burgess and McQuiston.
Filming began in London in January 2026. Deadline reported the March 6 wrap. Both leads return, as do Thurman, Hilson, Fry, Bamber, Sarah Shahi and Clifton Collins Jr. Flynn, Atobrah and Aneesh Sheth are also back. Joining them are Lena Headey, Chloe Fineman, Henry Ashton and Alex Høgh Andersen.
The wedding in the title belongs to Beatrice. Galitzine and Zakhar Perez confirmed that detail in a video from the set, so the title should not be taken as an announcement that Alex and Henry are getting married. Amazon is keeping the rest of the plot quiet.
The sequel’s rating is confirmed. The Motion Picture Association lists an R for “sexual content/nudity and language,” under certificate 56231. Gayety covered the classification in October. A release date is still missing: Amazon MGM Studios hadn’t announced one as of November 2, 2026.
A New Book Arrives December 1
McQuiston’s next book does have a release date: December 1, 2026. That’s when Red, White & Royal Blue: The Private Correspondence arrives, according to publisher Macmillan. After the email leak, Alex and Henry turn to handwritten letters. McQuiston’s description promises postcards and journal entries, too, spanning more than twenty years of their lives together. This is the novel’s world, where June still exists.
The novella and Royal Wedding follow separate versions of these characters. McQuiston discussed that distinction in their announcement interview with People. So keep the December 1, 2026, date attached to the book. It isn’t a release announcement for the film.
Read the Book or Watch the Movie First?
Start with the book if June, the emails and the campaign intrigue are what brought you here. Those are substantial parts of McQuiston’s story, even when they get little or no screen time. For anyone catching up before Royal Wedding, the 2023 movie supplies the cast and family arrangements the sequel follows. You can enjoy both without expecting every relationship to line up.
Casey McQuiston Books to Read Next
- One Last Stop (2021): August Landry, a cynical 23-year-old bisexual New Yorker, falls for Jane Su, a punk butch lesbian from the 1970s who’s somehow stuck in time on the subway. There’s also a pancake diner to save.
- I Kissed Shara Wheeler (2022): Chloe Green goes looking for a missing prom queen in this young adult novel, following the clues Shara leaves behind.
- The Pairing (2024): Two bisexual exes, Theo and Kit, end up on the same European food-and-wine tour and bet on who can hook up with more fellow travelers. McQuiston called it their “spiciest” book yet.
For another movie night, browse our best gay movies of all time. Gayety’s movie coverage has more queer film news and recommendations.
‘Red, White & Royal Blue’ FAQ: Sequel, Rating and June
Is ‘Red, White & Royal Blue’ based on a book?
It is. Casey McQuiston published their debut novel in May 2019; the Prime Video adaptation followed in 2023.
Will there be a ‘Red, White & Royal Blue’ 2?
Yes. Jamie Babbit directs the sequel, Red, White & Royal Wedding, which wrapped filming in March 2026. Amazon hadn’t announced a release date as of November 2, 2026.
Why did the movie cut Alex’s sister June?
López combined June and Nora’s functions to give Nora a fuller supporting role and keep the film focused on Alex and Henry. Nora inherits much of June’s confidante role and her romantic connection with Pez.
Is ‘Red, White & Royal Blue’ rated R?
Yes. The original received an R for some sexual content, partial nudity and language. Red, White & Royal Wedding also received an R, reported in October 2026.
Is Alex bisexual in ‘Red, White & Royal Blue’?
Alex is bisexual in both versions. In the book, Henry’s New Year’s Eve kiss prompts him to recognize his bisexuality and reconsider earlier experiences with Liam. The film introduces him already acknowledging his attraction to men, including a past hookup with Miguel.
