Weekly Reader: Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston; LGBT Romance Presents An Idyllic Current World
By Julie Sara Porter
Bookworm Reviews
PopSugar Reading Challenge: A book by a trans or non-binary author
Spoilers: Of the books that I have been reading during this stressful time, Colin McQuiston's Red, White, and Royal Blue is alternately the saddest and the most uplifting. Uplifting because of what the book is, but saddest in what it represents or what it doesn't represent. It is wish fulfillment, an alternate universe, and a fantasy almost as unrealistic as The Other Magic by Derrick Smythe. It is hopeful and uplifting because it is not the world as it is, but the world as it could be.
The book stars Alex Claremont-Diaz, the son of Ellen Claremont, the first female President of the United States and Prince Henry, (not our real-life Prince Harry obviously) grandson of Queen Mary of England. The two are often rivals talking snipes at each other in public and on social media. After a disastrous PR stunt at the Prince of Wales' wedding, in which the two fight resulting in a fallen wedding cake, the two are ordered to act like BFF's, share Instagram photos and Facebook stories of their time together, speak well of each other in interviews, and shadow each other at public events. Little does anyone realize that the two are hiding different feelings that open up on midnight New Year's Eve. The two young men kiss and become lovers. Now, they have to hide their relationship from potentially disapproving friends, family, media, and the general public should they create a scandal.
On the surface, there is nothing wrong with Red, White, and Royal Blue. In fact it's one of the best books that I read so far this year. Alex and Henry are a sweet charming couple that the Readers root for to get together. There are moments with real humor and warmth. Alex and Henry's email exchanges go from mocking to loving such as when they refer to each other in various terms like "Huge Raging Headache Prince Henry of Who Cares" and "First Son of Off-Brand England."
There are also some hilarious moments even after the two are outed. Ellen reacts the way any loving mother/POTUS would: she gives a PowerPoint presentation on "Why Having Sex With Foreign Dignitaries is Considered 'A Gray Area'." Highlights include a slide which reads "Exploring Your Sexuality is Fine But Does It Have To Be With The Prince of England?"
Henry and Alex are public figures, wealthy sons and grandsons of world leaders, but these aren't spoiled rotten kids who use their family connections to get away with trouble. Alex is inspired by his mother's career in politics and studies political science hoping to enter public service one day himself. In fact, he, his sister, June and the VP's granddaughter, Nora are bright brilliant young people who want to use their talents in political science, journalism, and mathematical analysis respectively to not only help Ellen with her reelection campaign, but to carve their own careers.
Meanwhile across the Pond, Henry visits sick children in the hospital particularly in one touching moment when he shares a mutual love of Star Wars with a bed ridden girl. (This exchange also softens Alex's original view of the Prince as a boring entitled snob). Henry is so involved in philanthropic and charitable causes that he considers his birthright to be an impediment from being as involved as he would like. His brother, Phillip, is more of a duty bound Traditionalist and Bea, his sister is more of the stereotypical drug addicted party girl/celebutante, but they are also good characters at heart. They clearly miss their deceased father (who in this version is a retired actor and Royal by marriage) and feel apart from their distant and depressed mother, so the Royal siblings care for and protect each other. If anything the large hearts are just as much a draw for Alex and Henry towards each other as their good looks and family pedigrees.
There are also triumphant moments that recognize the true worth of friendship and family when various people in both America and Britain lend their unwavering support for the duo. Bea, June, and Nora offer a Greek Chorus of sisterly protectiveness towards the Lover Boys.(Though they can't resist pointing out the Real Person Fanfiction about the duo.) Alex's father, Sen. Oscar Diaz treats Henry like another son and once his mother gets past her PowerPoint presentation, her response to the negative publicity is "f$#k it."
There is negative publicity, most prominently Henry's grandmother and brother are the most outspoken against the pairing. Even they are put in their place by Henry's mother who comes out of her depression to finally take an active interest in her children's lives.
Alex eventually gives a speech not only to out himself but to confirm his love for Henry. It is the type of speech that if it were real would go down in history as a monumental moment in LGBTQIA history. Of course the two get a happy ending that comes with some sacrifice, but it warms the heart and makes the Reader stand up and cheer. Which is why Red, White, and Royal Blue alternates between the most uplifting and the saddest.
Red, White, and Royal Blue is the saddest book because the world inside and outside the book couldn't be more different than if Red, White, and Royal Blue took place on Middle Earth or Westeros. To their credit McQuiston was aware of the dichotomy between fiction in reality. In the Afterwards, they state that Red, White, and Royal Blue began production in 2016 and was published in 2019 and McQuiston saw the dichotomy for themselves.
In the setting of Red White and Royal Blue, the first female President who had a commendable previous political and legal career is elected after Obama, the first black President. Even though, her first marriage ended in divorce, she remains on amicable terms with her first husband and her low key second husband does not mind filling the role of First Gentleman. In the real world, a business mogul/reality show star becomes President, even though he had three marriages, cheated on all of his wives with the next one, has made disparaging remarks about women on camera, and his supporters dismiss his behavior as "locker room talk." In this world, three women (one who was African-American), two African-Americans, a Mexican-American man, a gay man, and a Jewish man competed for the 2020 Democratic ticket. One by one, they all dropped out in favor of a 70ish white man with a divisive personality.
In McQuiston's world, Ellen's son and daughter, the First Son and Daughter of the United States are mixed race with a white mother and a Latino father. In this world, immigrant children from various Central American families are separated from their families and placed in cages, given little to no medical treatment, and many have disappeared perhaps into illicit foster homes or sold to human traffickers.
Inside the pages of the book, there is controversy towards the pairing particularly from the Queen of England, but his family manages to help Henry keep his lineage and place in the family world. Outside the pages of the book, Prince Henry and Meaghan Markle, Duke of Duchess of Sussex are in the process of giving up their titles and lineage rather than have Markle receive continue to receive negative criticism for "challenging the role expected of her" (when her late mother in law received praise for doing many of the same things that she does). Instead she and their son have received insults and threats because of their skin color, this being a factor in their leaving.
In fiction, an often marginalized group is given a voice in power. In reality, Ahmoud Arbery was shot just for being a black man jogging in a white neighborhood. George Floyd was killed by a police officer who usurped his authority by putting his knee on Floyd's neck after he passed out. White armed protestors can storm Capitol buildings and not get arrested, but if an actor speaks about an issue or a black football player takes a knee they are considered a threat. Protections for LGBTQIA people have rolled back. Women may be openly accusing powerful men of sexual harassment and assault, but it's the women who are being branded as liars and whores and are removed from their jobs while many of the men remain in their positions and/or are defended, even posthumously.
The President favors alt right and hate groups, praises their actions, and calls them very fine people because they support him. He does and admits various horrible things and still gains support from so-called religious people because he plays on their fears and values.
In Red, White, and Royal Blue, the children of the President, Vice President, and the British Royal family have famous names but don't use them to get away with crimes or to attend parties. Instead they use their talents, expertise, and drive to make the world a better place. In the real world, the children of the President use their famous name to get past conflicts of interest and illegal activities such as defrauding charities (while hypocritically accusing Hunter Biden of the former).
In the book, a bit of political skullduggery is uncovered when Ellen's strongest rival gets a key endorsement when he blackmails a young idealistic senator to support him instead of Ellen. The conspiracy is uncovered and the senator comes clean. Outside the book, the current White House occupant was impeached for abuse of power and obstruction, but the Republican led Senate chose party over country and refused to remove him from office.
The biggest issue during the book's 2020 election is the outing of the President's son. The biggest issue during the real 2020 election is a worldwide pandemic which has killed millions and shows signs of a second wave emerging. Rather than care about their fellow men and women, especially those who are considered essential workers, many refuse to follow health guidelines by gathering in large public places and refusing to wear masks. They claim these regulations are violations of their civil liberties, when all they are protecting people from sickness. Many would rather believe a conspiracy theory, than scientific and medical research and good common sense.
Red, White, and Royal Blue is idealistic because it gives us hope. There is still time to turn things around and let certain people be heard, accept love in its many forms, allow people to live their truths, for friends and family to consider love and support more important than wealth and politics, to become the people that McQuiston wrote.
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