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Phipps: Sir Cedric! Sir Cedric! Good news. We've finally found an heir! |
After a freak accident wipes out most of the British royal family, the only heir that can be found is American lounge singer Ralph Jones (John Goodman). Accepting the job assuming he won't really have to do anything, Ralph soon learns there's more expected of him. He struggles to become a good king with the help of his chief advisor, Sir Cedric Willingham (Peter O'Toole), plus a burgeoning romance with Miranda Greene (Camille Cudori) causes problems: sje is from a working-class family and is not considered an acceptable match for a king. He also has to deal with the machinations of Lord Percival Graves (John Hurt), who is certain he could become king himself if only he could get Ralph to abdicate, and hopes to use Miranda to do so.
- Adipose Rex
- Aristocrats Are Evil: Lord Graves
- Arranged Marriage: One is planned between Ralph and Princess Anna of Finland. It goes nowehere
- Artistic License: The British aristocracy has hundreds of potential heirs in line for the throne, rather than the two dozen seen here. If every single one of them was to either die or be disqualified in some way, the monarch who is most closely related (currently, the King of Norway) would take control of the kingdom.
- Babies Ever After: Ralph and Miranda
- Disaster Dominoes: At the banquet with Finland's royal family, Ralph's attempt to cut into a roasted miniature chicken causes it to shoot off his plate, knocking over his drinking glass. The chicken and glass set off a chain reaction that topples all the other glasses from one end of the very long table to the other.
- If just one of the snooty toffs had grabbed their glass out of the way instead of squealing, it wouldn't have gone as far.
- Ermine Cape Effect: Averted. When not on state business, Ralph continues to dress the same way he used to.
- Everything's Better with Princesses: Subverted. Ralph has no interest in Princess Anna.
Sir Cedric Willingham: How's it going, Your Majesty? |
- Fish Out of Water
- Implausible Deniability: When Ralph confronts Lord Graves -
Graves: This is an outrage! A vile piece of slander! I demand to know the source of these allegations! |
- Knighting: Ralph almost cuts off a man's ear during the ceremony.
- No Celebrities Were Harmed: The royal family is called the Windhams. The Finnish royal family also appears when another country's royals are needed. (In real life, Finland has never had one, being ruled instead by Sweden and then Russia.)
- Averted with Lord Graves, who is descended from the house of Stuart.
- No OSHA Compliance: Totally played for laughs and purely as a plot device — in reality, the photographers would never have been so lackadaisical about having their electrics in several inches of water, and if so, they would need beheading on the spot!
- One of Us: In the film, working class people quickly take a liking to Ralph.
- One Steve Limit: Played with: discussing the official naming of the king, Sir Cedric says he can't really think of any notable Ralphs, prompting His Majesty to rattle off a few.
Ralph: Oh sure. Ralph Warren. Ralph Macchio. Ralph Cramden... |
- Rags to Royalty: Deconstructed. Ralph is unsuited for the politicking and intrigue of the royal court.
- Refusal of the Call: Cedric, Ralph's advisor and the other heir to the trone, admits to Ralph he asked not to be given the crown. He ends up reigning anyway, as Ralph adbicates on him
- Requisite Royal Regalia: A ring passed to Ralph as an heirloom has a duplicate, proving to him that Gordon is not pulling some prank.
- Smug Snake: Lord Graves
- Succession Crisis
- Suddenly-Suitable Suitor (gender-flipped)
- There Is Another: Cedric is also a potential heir.
- Took a Level In Badass: When the chips are down and Ralph realises the full impact of his behaviour, he shows what he can do when he takes things seriously, and delivers a Crowning Moment of Awesome in front of Parliament and the entire nation, making some amends for the job losses he caused and outing the treasonous Lord Graves, followed by a rousing and heartwarming farewell.
- Unexpected Successor: Ralph. Cedric, too. Lord Graves tries to become one. At the end... Cedric is crowned as the new King of England, Ralph becomes a Duke.