Harry & Meghan:
Becoming Royal
Review by Marisa Stokley
About the Movie
Harry & Meghan: Becoming Royal, the sequel to the 2018 hit movie, continues the love story of newlyweds Prince Harry (Charlie Field) and American actress Meghan Markle (Tiffany Smith), pulling back the curtain to reveal the untold joys and challenges of life inside the Royal Family during their pivotal first year of marriage. Beyond blending their families and cultures, Harry and Meghan’s core values are put to the test as they try to find the balance between honoring tradition and staying true to their beliefs.
* Movie description is courtesy of Lifetime.
My Thoughts
Harry and Meghan: Becoming Royal is a lovely return to Lifetime’s take on royal romances. Picking up right after where its predecessor left off, this movie takes viewers through the highs of lows of what it is like for someone new to join the British Royal Family, plan a wedding, and integrate themselves into a new culture that isn’t always welcoming. From the relentless pursuit of the paparazzi, to the brutality of the British press, to the criticism delivered by the family, Harry & Meghan: Becoming Royal delivers a behind-the-scenes look at what life must have been like for Meghan on her journey to becoming a princess as well as for Harry as he watched it all unfold.
Much like the first movie in this series, Becoming Royal sets the stage for Harry and Meghan’s story with gorgeous London scenery and a cast of secondary characters who bring the plotline to life. While the movie offers much in terms of dropping its viewers into the story, I didn’t care for this one as much as the first because of a few distracting elements. Harry and Meghan’s joys, triumphs, challenges, and failures are well documented; nevertheless, the portrayal of these two in the movie come across as less than empathetic despite the knowledge that viewers will have of what’s to come on the screen. Movie Meghan, unlike her real-life counterpart, is whiny and unlikable, while movie Harry is more of a pushover than the prince is known to be in real life. In addition, all the characters bear some similarity to the real royals, but the differences are notable enough to distract viewers from the story.
As always with royal movies, when one comes on I will watch it regardless of the merit of its production, including Becoming Royal. I just wish I liked this one as much as some of Lifetime’s other forays in telling the story of the British royal romances.
I watched Harry and Meghan: Becoming Royal on Disney+ of my own choice. I was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.