9 Ways the A Christmas Prince Sequel Borrows From the British Royal Family

Let's start with Amber's engagement ring, shall we? The deep blue sapphire stone encased in silver is reminiscent of the gorgeous 12-carat sapphire and diamond ring Prince William proposed to Kate Middleton with in 2010. Something tells us Amber's isn't worth $50,000, though . . .

Shortly after Meghan Markle and Prince Harry announced their relationship to the world, Markle appeared on the cover of Vanity Fair and Prince Harry popped up on Town and Country. The close-ups of Amber and Prince Richard in these shots seem to be an ode to their real-life royal counterparts.

Meghan Markle's love story with Prince Harry has been referred to as a real-life Cinderella story time and time again, and it seems the phrase is the perfect fit to describe Amber's appearance on a talk show early on in the film.

It takes all of five seconds or so to realize a few things about Amber's dad, Rudy. First, that he's been recast by a totally different actor, and second, that he's incredibly annoying. The new version of her father is obnoxious to the point of it being absurd, picking up Queen Helena and twirling her around and roughly shaking Princess Emily's head back and forth — admittedly in a jokey way — when being introduced to her. Are there no guards around, or what?!

To be fair, Amber doesn't seem bothered by her father's behavior in the least. In fact, she seems to relish in him thawing out the royal family's icy formal protocol. Even though she doesn't mind him rudely taking over the royal kitchen and generally causing havoc wherever he goes, it does seem to echo the British royal family's recent scuffles with Meghan Markle's father, Thomas Markle, who brushed aside protocol in favor of acting however he pleased (translation: like a self-serving ass, to be frank).

Ever since Meghan Markle joined the royal family, the media has loved calling out all the ways she habitually breaks royal protocol. From opting not to wear tights at formal events to putting her hair up in a messy bun, Markle seems to enjoy a much more relaxed approach to being a duchess. The same can be said of Amber, who combats the Aldovian family's royal protocol adviser, Mrs. Averill, at every turn. "There should be a revitalization effort to bring the royal family into the 21st century," she notes at one point, before lamenting that "life in a fishbowl takes getting used to."

Part of Amber's adjustment to royal life includes giving up her blog, which continues to go viral since she keeps posting intimate photos of royal family members and detailing every second of her time inside the castle. While Meghan Markle never came close to doing such a thing, she did operate a lifestyle blog for years called The Tig. When she and Harry's relationship went public, she ceased operation of the site and later shut it down completely, as well as wiped her social media profiles.

Amber, however, was not as chill about wiping her blog from the face of the internet. "I didn't realize becoming part of the royal family meant having to give up who I am!" she yells to Mrs. Averill. Like . . . you DIDN'T realize that, girl? What exactly did you think marrying into the royal family would be like?! Unlike Markle, Amber eventually comes out victorious and is allowed to keep her blog. Aldovia is a hell of a place!

Kate Middleton and Prince William's 2010 engagement photos feature the future Duchess of Cambridge wearing a navy blue knee-length gown and a simple necklace. Amber wears a very similar outfit for her official engagement portraits with Prince Richard, though her dress is velvet and her silver locket is much more noticeable.

Amber's wedding dress also seems to be a direct homage to Kate Middleton's Sarah Burton-designed gown. True, Amber's look is nowhere near as detailed or elegant (who, pray tell, decided on that shiny fabric?!), but it has the same v-neck and lace touches on the bodice. She also carries a bouquet in similar shades of white and green.

While Amber might have taken a number of style nods from Kate Middleton, her hair and makeup seem to be pulled directly from Meghan Markle's wedding day beauty look. A low, slightly messy chignon? Check. A "natural" approach to eyeliner and lip color? Check. She also tops off her ensemble with a pair of dainty earrings the way Markle did.