The holiday movie season gets a royal sprinkle this year with A Royal Icing Christmas — a cozy, feel-good Great American Family original directed by Andrew Cymek (known for his warm holiday work) from a screenplay by Brigitte Kingsley. The film follows Princess Charlotte of Marovia, who slips away from palace life to follow her true passion: baking. Disguised under an alias, she enters a small-town Christmas baking contest, finds a little romance, and, more importantly, the courage to be herself.
Though the story feels like classic New England holiday fare, filmmakers took the production north of the border. Produced under Nicely Entertainment, the movie is also known as Once Upon a Christmas Crown among viewers. Let’s look at the places where the movie was actually filmed — and how Ontario, played the perfect stand-in for a storybook Christmas town.
Where was A Royal Icing Christmas filmed?
Principal photography for A Royal Icing Christmas took place in Port Hope, Ontario, Canada during March 2025. The production used the town’s charming downtown streets and the stately Lakehurst Estate to recreate the small-town, wintry feel the script calls for — complete with set-dressed storefronts, fake snow, and festive decorations.
Lakehurst Estate — the palace and grand interiors
On March 7, 2025, Lakehurst Estate posted on Instagram that the property would serve as “the enchanting backdrop” for the movie. The estate’s grand rooms and manicured grounds were ideal for palace interiors and the more elevated, royal moments in the story — while still allowing the production to stage intimate scenes (kitchen scenes, ballroom moments, and those all-important royal-turned-baker close-ups) in one elegant location.
Port Hope downtown — Walton Street & Queen Street
The Municipality of Port Hope confirmed the production was on location downtown on March 24, 2025, when the crew filmed scenes at 57 Walton Street (G. Facey Clothing) and along 8–12 Queen Street. For those 12-hour filming days the town was transformed to look like a bustling holiday main street — sidewalk bakery windows, lamplight garlands, and, yes, artificial snow.
Local notices made clear the work was a “one-day” downtown shoot: sidewalks temporarily closed in front of the locations, a handful of parking spaces reserved for the crew and equipment, and pedestrian traffic routed across the street. The short disruption kept the filming tight while keeping businesses accessible — the careful kind of small-town movie day Port Hope is used to hosting.
Port Hope’s historic downtown (familiar to film crews from past productions like Murdoch Mysteries and Schitt’s Creek) gave the production that layered, lived-in look — perfect for a New England-feel holiday movie. Some of the shooting was also done in Toronto, the city famous for numerous holiday productions like A Not So Royal Christmas, Mistletoe Murders, A Christmas Angel Match, etc.
Filming notes & production details
Shoot window: March 2025 (including a concentrated downtown day on March 24).
On-set dressing: The crew added fake snow and Christmas decor to turn springtime Port Hope into a holiday town.
Local coordination: The production team of A Royal Icing Christmas worked with the municipality to reserve parking (three nearby spots and ten in Elias Street lot) and notify residents in advance. Pedestrian access to businesses was maintained during filming.
Sets recreated: In addition to Lakehurst’s stately rooms (used for palace and formal scenes), the production built bakery and contest sets to mimic the look and staging of a community baking competition — plus several family homes and small-town storefronts.
Behind the scenes
Director Andrew Cymek and writer Brigitte Kingsley steer the movie toward the cozy, romantic grooves that Great American Family viewers expect. Filming in Port Hope allowed the production to combine elegant estate interiors (for palace scenes) with the approachable charm of a downtown main street (for bakery and contest scenes).
Local businesses cooperated with the production’s set-dressing plans, and the Municipality of Port Hope helped manage parking and pedestrian changes during the downtown shoot.
Lakehurst Estate’s Instagram updates hinted at behind-the-scenes access and set photos during March — a neat perk for local fans who enjoy seeing how a holiday film comes together.
A Royal Icing Christmas Cast
The cast of a Royal Icing Christmas brings a mix of fresh faces and familiar-sounding character names to the holiday tale:
- Ellise Roth as Princess Charlotte / “Charlie” — the royal who wants to bake more than rule.
- Sebastien Darcel-Sinclair as Prince David — the potential love interest who helps Charlotte find herself.
- Bryn Brouwers as Jenny — a friendly local who befriends Charlie.
- Aliyah Cilurzo-Oliveira appears as Young Kate.
- Callum Buckley as Lucas
Supporting cast includes Siena Cutone (Lily), Michele Di Tomasso (Organizer), Kimm Dizdari (Kate Jones), Carys Etienne (Young Charlotte), Brad Foisy (Mr. Foxborough), Savio Joseph (Mark), Jim Phu (Keith), Dan Reilly (Patrick — Press 2), and Heidi Richards (Press 3).
The casting leans into the story’s warmth — a small town of characters who help Charlotte discover that being true to herself matters more than protocol.
What is A Royal Icing Christmas movie about?
A Royal Icing Christmas follows Princess Charlotte of Marovia. Poised to be crowned queen, Charlotte quietly yearns for a life far from ceremonial duties — specifically, she wants to bake.
She slips out of palace life, adopts an alias and signs up for a local Christmas baking competition in a quaint New England-style town. Between mixing batter and frosting gingerbread, she finds friendship and romance, and ultimately learns to embrace who she is — royal title and all.
The film blends holiday comfort with a gentle coming-of-age arc: warm small-town visuals, baking montages, a touch of royal sparkle, and the expected holiday happily-ever-after.
Where to watch A Royal Icing Christmas?
The holiday film A Royal Icing Christmas kicks off its exclusive streaming run on Great American Pure Flix this Thursday, October 23, 2025. It will then make its TV debut on GFam+ and Great American Family with a live broadcast on Saturday, October 25, at 8/7c inside the United States.
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