Red White, & Royal Wedding Casting Update: Returning Cast Confirmed and Two New Names Added
After Amazon MGM Studios confirmed earlier this week that Red, White, & Royal Wedding—the highly anticipated sequel to Red, White, & Royal Blue—is officially in production, we’re back with our first real casting update beyond the already-confirmed return of Taylor Zakhar-Perez and Nicholas Galitzine. And yes, it’s already giving us plenty to talk about.
Since the sequel was greenlit, we’ve known that Zakhar-Perez and Galitzine would reprise their roles as Alex Claremont-Diaz and Prince Henry, respectively, continuing one of the most visible queer love stories to come out of a mainstream studio in recent years. Now, Amazon MGM Studios has confirmed that several familiar faces from the first film will also be returning for Red, White, & Royal Wedding.
Uma Thurman (Ellen Claremont), Sarah Shahi (Zahara Bankston), Rachel Hilson (Nora Holleran), Ellie Bamber (Princess Beatrice), Clifton Collins Jr. (Oscar Diaz), Stephen Fry (King James III), Thomas Flynn (Prince Phillip), Aneesh Sheth (Amy Gupta), and Malcolm Atobrah (Percy Okonjo) are all set to reprise their roles. While we’re fully expecting the sequel—much like the first film—to stay tightly focused on Alex and Henry’s relationship, these characters matter because they’re part of that journey. They’re the parents, friends, and confidants who shape Alex and Henry’s lives, and their presence helps ground this very gay fairytale in a broader emotional reality.
Notably absent from the announcement, however, are Juan Castano, who played Miguel, and Akshay Khanna, who portrayed Shaan Shrivastava, Henry’s equerry and Zahra’s partner. Shaan’s absence, in particular, raised our eyebrows. That said, readers of the collector’s edition of Red, White, & Royal Blue will remember the extra chapter, which is set five years later and filled with snapshots from Alex and Henry’s lives during that time. Within those glimpses, we also learn that Shaan is now a househusband and that he and Zahra share a child. That context makes it easier to imagine his role being smaller this time around, even if we’re still hoping he pops up.
As for new cast members, only two names were initially announced: Henry Ashton and Alex Høgh Andersen. Whether this was intentional or the universe’s simply having a sense of humor, the coincidence of the actors’ names absolutely made us giggle. Who they’re playing remains a mystery, but our minds immediately went to that same extra chapter, which introduces Henry’s body double, Angus. Could the film expand on that idea? Could Alex have one, too? Or maybe their casting responds to another intriguing line from that extra chapter, which references “the incident with the croquet mallets and the Dutch ambassador at Bea’s wedding.” One of them could be the groom, the other the ambassador. Of course, we’re speculating, but until we’re told otherwise, it’s all on the table.
On Friday, January 23, another casting announcement dropped, this time adding Lena Headey and Chloe Fineman to the Red, White, & Royal Wedding lineup. Once again, no character details were shared, but if we’re placing bets, ours are firmly on Headey stepping into the role of Princess Catherine, Henry’s mother. Still, without an official confirmation, this remains pure speculation on our part.
And that really sums up where we are with this sequel: unlike the first film, there isn’t a full novel guiding the story. Beyond that extra chapter, we’re in uncharted territory, and all we can do is guess until Amazon MGM Studios shares more details.
As always, we’re officially on royal watch. The moment more Red White, & Royal Wedding casting news drops, we’ll be right here to break it down.
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Featured Image: Image Courtesy of Amazon MGM Studios.
