"Crown For Christmas"

"Crown For Christmas" is part of Hallmark's "Countdown to Christmas" and stars Rupert Penry-Jones, an English actor born into a family of actors.  My spouse and I first remember him from "The 39 Steps."  His co-star in "Crown for Christmas" is Danica McKellar who is an American actress.  Although Danica may be best known for her role as Winnie Cooper on "The Wonder Years," she has written a number of best-selling books about math, including "Math Doesn't Suck" plus she's an education advocate.   She graduated summa cum laude from UCLA in 1998 with a Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics.  While there she and Professor Lincoln Chayes and a fellow student named Brandy Winn worked together to come up with a new mathematical proof which was named the Charles-McKellar-Winn theorem.

In "Crown For Christmas" Danica is Allie, a young woman who gave up  art school to return home to raise her younger brother and sister when her parents were killed in an accident.  Although her siblings are now grown, she and her sister are still supporting the family with jobs as maids in a hotel in New York while their brother attends college.  When Allie accidentally bumps into a VIP guest, little does she know the ramifications.  She and her sister lose their jobs at the hotel but she is immediately offered a position as a governess.  Thus begins her adventure!  The man (Rupert Penry-Jones) she bumped into in the hotel is King of a little known country whose New York born wife died four years ago and left him with a grieving and impossible daughter who has run through governesses like a steamroller.  However, Allie is prepared for that as it is much like having to raise her younger siblings!

The King's Chancellor believes it is important for the King to remarry and bring the kingdom together with a wedding.  His deceased parents destined him to marry Lady Celia but he found his own true love in New York (his daughter's mother).  Now the Chancellor is urging him to put his grief aside and announce his engagement to Lady Celia at the annual Christmas Eve Gala.

In the meantime, Allie has won over the Princess and begun to capture the King's heart as well.  Will he follow his Chancellor's wishes or his heart?  It's Hallmark - what do you think?  It's a delightful, heartwarming movie!  pazt