Honestly, the early 2000s were a wild time for cinema. We had the rise of the high-concept romantic comedy, and right in the middle of that surge, we got The Prince and Me. It’s one of those movies that everyone seems to have seen on a rainy Saturday afternoon on TBS or ABC Family, yet it rarely gets the same "prestige" nostalgia treatment as The Princess Diaries or How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. But here’s the thing: it’s actually a lot more interesting than people give it credit for. Released in 2004, it stars Julia Stiles as Paige Morgan, a pre-med student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison with zero time for nonsense, and Luke Mably as Prince Edvard of Denmark, a royal brat looking to escape his responsibilities.
It’s a classic fish-out-of-water story. Or maybe a "prince-out-of-palace" story? Either way, the film captures a very specific moment in pop culture where the idea of a "commoner" marrying a royal felt like a genuine fairy tale rather than a tabloid nightmare.
The Reality Check Behind the Fantasy
You’ve probably noticed that The Prince and Me movie doesn't exactly follow the laws of international diplomacy or, well, reality. For starters, the Danish royal family in the film is entirely fictional. In 2004, the real Crown Prince of Denmark was Frederik, and he actually did marry a commoner, Mary Donaldson, whom he met at a bar in Sydney during the 2000 Olympics. It’s funny because the movie sort of mirrors real life, but swaps the gritty reality of learning a new language and moving to Copenhagen for a Hollywood version of Wisconsin farm life.
Director Martha Coolidge, who also did Valley Girl, tries to ground the movie in Paige’s ambition. Paige isn't waiting for a prince. She wants to be a doctor. She’s studying organic chemistry. She’s focused. This is a huge departure from the "damsel in distress" trope. When Edvard shows up—calling himself "Eddie" and trying to blend in—he’s the one who has to adapt. He’s the one failing at laundry and getting a job at a bar.
The chemistry between Stiles and Mably is what carries the whole thing. Stiles has this intellectual toughness that makes you believe she really would choose a stethoscope over a tiara. Mably, on the other hand, does a decent job of transitioning from a spoiled playboy to someone who actually cares about the socioeconomic struggles of dairy farmers. It’s a bit cheesy, sure. But it works because the stakes feel personal to Paige.
Why the Wisconsin Setting Actually Works
Most royal movies take place in London, Paris, or some made-up European country with a name like "Genovia" or "Aldovia." Setting The Prince and Me in Madison, Wisconsin, was a stroke of genius. It creates a stark contrast between the gilded halls of Copenhagen and the mud-caked boots of a Midwestern farm.
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The production actually filmed quite a bit in Toronto and the Czech Republic to stand in for Wisconsin and Denmark, but they captured the "Big Ten" university vibe perfectly. There’s a scene where they go to Paige’s family farm for Thanksgiving. It’s awkward. It’s sweaty. Eddie has to learn how to drive a tractor. This isn't just a romantic subplot; it’s a culture clash that highlights the impossibility of their two worlds merging.
- Eddie’s "Eddie" persona is a total disaster at first.
- The lawnmower racing scene is peak 2000s cinema.
- Paige’s parents are played by James Fox and Miranda Richardson, which is some seriously high-caliber casting for a teen-adjacent rom-com.
When we talk about the longevity of The Prince and Me movie, we have to look at the "Edward vs. Eddie" dynamic. The movie asks if you can ever really leave your past behind. It’s a question that resonates with anyone who’s ever left their hometown for college or tried to reinvent themselves in a new city.
The Sequel Slump and the Brand's Legacy
We need to be honest about the sequels. They happened. They weren't great.
After the success of the first film, the franchise moved into "direct-to-video" territory. Julia Stiles didn't come back. Kam Heskin took over the role of Paige. While Luke Mably stayed for The Prince & Me 2: The Royal Wedding, he eventually left too. By the time we got to The Prince & Me: A Royal Honeymoon and The Prince & Me: The Elephant Adventure, the charm of the original Wisconsin-meets-Denmark premise was long gone.
The first movie stands alone as a complete story. It ends on a somewhat ambiguous but hopeful note. Paige realizes that she doesn't have to give up her dreams of being a doctor to be with the man she loves, and Edvard realizes that being a king means supporting the people he cares about, including his future queen’s career. It’s surprisingly progressive for a movie that came out over twenty years ago.
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How it Compares to Modern Royal Rom-Coms
If you watch The Royal Treatment or A Christmas Prince on Netflix today, you can see the DNA of The Prince and Me movie everywhere. It set the template:
- Royal goes undercover to a "normal" place.
- Feisty woman is unimpressed by his status.
- They fall in love doing something mundane (like eating pizza or fixing a car).
- The secret comes out.
- A stern Queen Mother (played by a legendary actress) disapproves.
But those modern versions often lack the grit of the 2004 film. There’s something about the 35mm film grain and the early-2000s fashion—the low-rise jeans, the cardigans, the side-swept bangs—that gives the original a sense of place and time that the "Content™" of today just doesn't have.
The Enduring Appeal of Julia Stiles
We can't talk about this movie without talking about Julia Stiles. In the late 90s and early 2000s, she was the queen of the "thinking person's" teen movie. From 10 Things I Hate About You to Save the Last Dance, she always played characters with an inner life and a backbone.
In The Prince and Me, she brings a groundedness to Paige. When she finds out Eddie is a prince, she isn't excited. She’s pissed. She feels lied to. That reaction is so much more human than the wide-eyed wonder we usually see in these movies. It makes the eventual reconciliation feel earned. You get the sense that if Eddie hadn't changed, she really would have just stayed in Wisconsin and finished her degree.
Navigating the Plot Holes
Look, no movie is perfect. Why does a Danish prince have a vaguely British accent? Why is the Danish Parliament so easily swayed by a speech from a college student? Why did nobody recognize one of the most famous men in the world at a mid-sized American university in the age of the early internet?
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You just have to let it go. Rom-coms require a certain level of "suspension of disbelief," and The Prince and Me movie is no exception. If you start pulling at the threads of the geopolitical logic, the whole thing unspools. But if you view it as a character study of two people from different worlds finding common ground, it’s a delight.
Actionable Takeaways for Movie Nights
If you’re planning a rewatch or introducing this to someone for the first time, keep these things in mind:
- Watch the original first: Skip the sequels unless you’re a completionist. The first film is the only one with the original cast and the high production value.
- Pair it with real history: Look up the story of Mary and Frederik of Denmark. It’s fascinating to see where the movie took "inspiration" and where it went completely off the rails.
- Notice the cinematography: Martha Coolidge uses light really effectively to separate the cold, blue tones of the palace from the warm, golden hues of the Wisconsin farm.
- Check out the soundtrack: It’s a time capsule of early 2000s pop-rock.
Basically, the film holds up because it treats its protagonist's career goals as seriously as her romantic life. That’s a rare feat in the genre. It reminds us that even in a fairy tale, you shouldn't have to lose yourself to find your "happily ever after."
To get the most out of the experience, try watching it back-to-back with 10 Things I Hate About You. You'll see the range Stiles had during this era—from the cynical Kat Stratford to the ambitious Paige Morgan. It’s a testament to her talent that she made both characters feel distinct and relatable. Now, go find a comfy couch and dive back into 2004.