Prime Video’s Red, White & Royal Blue is set to challenge Netflix's Heartstopper for the rom-com crown

Red White and Royal Blue
(Image credit: Amazon Prime Video)

If you're looking for an enjoyable, funny and heartwarming rom-com with echoes of Netflix's Heartstopper and Young Royals, Prime Video may have the show for you. Red, White & Royal Blue will be released on August 11, and advance word says that Amazon has a romantic hit on its hands.

Based on the bestselling and critically acclaimed book of the same name, Red, White & Royal Blue tells the story of Britain's handsome and charismatic Prince Henry and the much-loved son of America's first president (Uma Thurman), Alex Claremont-Diaz. 

Played delightfully by the very beautiful Nicholas Galitzine and Taylor Zakhar Perez, the two men have nothing but contempt for one another – contempt that ends up threatening the uneasy alliance between the UK and the US. When their feud becomes politically problematic, Claremont-Diaz and Prince Henry are forced into an uneasy truce to keep the peace. And if you've ever watched a romantic comedy, you can guess what happens next. 

As you can see from the trailer below, this new Prime Video movie looks like it's going to be a ton of fun, especially if it's anything like Hearstopper season 2. It's great to see the best streaming services adding more rom-com flicks.

What are people saying about Red, White & Royal Blue?

The book on which the show is based is a step above your average romantic comedy. Casey McQuiston's romance tale has received rave reviews from critics and readers alike: NPR called it a "must-read romance"; Glamour said it was "one of the most universally beloved books of 2019"; and the American Library Association (ALA) said it was "the perfect summer read, full of big emotions, clever banter, and characters who will claim a part of your heart".

And as the ALA also pointed out: "It is SO GAY". A common theme in the reviews of the book, and in the excitement over the Prime Video adaptation, is that this is in many ways a classic rom-com but with brilliant LGBT+ representation. That's something that's still sadly lacking, despite the success of shows such as Heartstopper. So for queer people, seeing Red, White & Royal Blue get the big-ticket Amazon treatment is huge. 

Praising "this propulsive, pulpy rom-com" in the LA Review of Books, Harrison Hill wrote that they wished the book had existed when they were in high school. "I was hungry for a fun, readable book that spoke to the clamorous wondering in my gut; a book that allowed coming out to be difficult but not life-ending; a book that showed it was possible for two young men to be in a relationship that was as real and fun and complicated as any of the straight romances I encountered at the library or the multiplex," Hill writes. 

Judging by the trailer, it looks like Amazon has managed to capture the mood of the book: you'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll get awfully hot under the collar at some of the sex scenes. If Red, White & Royal Blue turns out to be even half as good as the book, it looks like it might be on the of the best Prime Video movies of the year.  

Carrie Marshall
Contributor

Writer, broadcaster, musician and kitchen gadget obsessive Carrie Marshall has been writing about tech since 1998, contributing sage advice and odd opinions to all kinds of magazines and websites as well as writing more than a dozen books. Her memoir, Carrie Kills A Man, is on sale now and her next book, about pop music, is out in 2025. She is the singer in Glaswegian rock band Unquiet Mind.

Read more
Pia holding a camera and smiling at something off camera in Picture This.
Picture This is Prime Video's #1 movie, but it hasn't captured everyone – here are 3 more rom-coms to watch instead with over 85% on Rotten Tomatoes
Noah smiles at Nick in the passenger seat of a car in My Fault: London.
My Fault: London is Prime Video’s #1 movie – here are 3 romantic dramas with over 81% on Rotten Tomatoes to watch next
Jeremy Allen White at the premiere of The Bear season four
The Bear’s Jeremy Allen White will star in Netflix’s new show from the author of Call Me By Your Name, and I need a streaming date immediately
Two people sit in front of a carousel
5 romance movies new to Prime Video with over 90% on Rotten Tomatoes
Daniel Craig and Drew Starkey under a yellow towel in Queer
I can't wait to stream another great A24 movie now that Queer has a release date on Max
Will Ferrell and Reece Witherspoon stand behind a desk smiling
You’re Cordially Invited is Prime Video’s #1 movie, but it’s a wedding crasher – here are 3 better comedies with over 89% on Rotten Tomatoes to watch instead
Latest in Streaming
Disappointed by The Electric State? Here's 4 reasons you should watch Tales From the Loop on Prime Video
Trinity Rodman #2 of the Washington Spirit crosses the ball during a game between Bay FC and Washington Spirit at Audi Field on November 10, 2024 in Washington, DC.
National Women's Soccer League 2025: How to watch NWSL games live from anywhere
Brad Pitt looks over his right shoulder with 'F1' written behind him
Apple and Warner Bros. will take you behind-the-scenes of a racing cockpit in this new thrilling F1 movie trailer
Reacher looking down at another character from the Prime Video TV series Reacher
Reacher season 3 becomes Prime Video’s biggest returning show thanks to Hollywood’s biggest heavyweight
Anora sitting on Ivan's lap in a casino in her self-titled film, one of the best new Hulu movies in March 2025
5 new Prime Video movies with over 90% on Rotten Tomatoes I think you should stream in March
The cast of The Parenting
The Parenting is Max's #1 most-watched movie but it has frightening reviews – here are 3 better horror films with over 90% on Rotten Tomatoes
Latest in News
Google Pixel 8a in aloe green showing
Google Pixel 9a benchmark link teases the performance of the upcoming mid-ranger
Quordle on a smartphone held in a hand
Quordle hints and answers for Monday, March 17 (game #1148)
NYT Strands homescreen on a mobile phone screen, on a light blue background
NYT Strands hints and answers for Monday, March 17 (game #379)
NYT Connections homescreen on a phone, on a purple background
NYT Connections hints and answers for Monday, March 17 (game #645)
Apple iPhone 16 Pro HANDS ON
Leaked iPhone 17 dummy units may have given us our best look yet at all four models
A super close up image of the Google Gemini app in the Play Store
It's official: Google Assistant will be retired for phones this year, with Gemini taking over