King Ralph - Synopsis

Synopsis

The entire House of Wyndham (based on the House of Windsor), the ruling family of the United Kingdom in the film, is electrocuted in a freak accident while posing for a family photograph, after a cable became wet during a storm. The British government immediately begins a search led by courtier Sir Cedric Willingham to look for any surviving heirs to whom to pass the crown. A researcher finally locates a living heir named Ralph Jones, an American.

In Las Vegas, Ralph, an easygoing slob, works as a lounge singer/piano player in one of the main casinos. Duncan Phipps and Inspector McGuire watch the performance and applaud with enthusiasm, while Ralph discovers that he has been fired and replaced by a chimpanzee. Ralph meets Phipps and McGuire, who inform him that he is now king, though at first Ralph is skeptical over their claims. Phipps explains that Ralph's grandfather, the first Duke of Warren, had had a brief affair with a hotel maid while visiting the States, and this affair produced a child, Ralph's father. But since his father and grandfather have died, Ralph is the only surviving Wyndham heir. Ralph is finally convinced when seeing the Duke's ring, an exact copy of a ring his grandmother claimed to have been given "by a prince".

Ralph is flown to London, where he meets Willingham for the first time and begins the long period of adjustment instruction intended to turn him into a proper British monarch. He is schooled by Willingham in English history and culture and is shown a variety of traditional English dishes, including bangers and mash. When he is shown spotted dick, a traditional English dessert for which he mistakes the bangers, he replies, "Spotted dick? Dick of what?" Ralph also learns the hard way that the British monarch does not just "smile and wave".

Shortly after his arrival, Ralph heads for a local strip club, meeting the exotic dancer Miranda Greene. When she is unable to perform and leaves the stage in embarrassment, Ralph decides he wants to meet her. She is skeptical of his claim to be king, but Ralph proposes that if he can prove he is, Miranda will go on at least one date with him. Ralph's appearance on a newscast soon proves his claim.

Sir Cedric then gives Ralph pointers in cricket, explaining the differences between it and baseball. Ralph hits the ball a long way and pretends to will it fair (much like Carlton Fisk did in Game Six of the 1975 World Series). He then rounds imaginary bases and when he gets to "home plate" he does an imaginary "Bash Brothers" greeting (like Jose Canseco and Mark McGwire of the Oakland Athletics).

Meanwhile, Lord Percival Graves, Prime Minister Geoffrey Hale, and Willingham meet to discuss Ralph's selection as King. Graves is opposed to the idea of an American on the throne, and he proposes to declare the Wyndham line at an end and replace it with the House of Stuart, putting himself next in line for the throne. Hale states that Jones has royal blood ("no matter how badly diluted"), and that unless Jones commits a grievous error the country will have to live with him. Graves decides to use Miranda as a way to cause embarrassment to Ralph and provide the excuse needed to remove him from the throne. Being offered money to maneuver Ralph into a compromising position, Miranda initially accepts. She and Ralph continue their relationship, soon beginning to fall in love. Miranda returns the money to Graves, telling him she wants no part of his scheme, not knowing Graves already has pictures of them. In order to protect Ralph, Miranda decides to break off the relationship.

Despite Ralph's initial reluctance to accept British culture, and his general ineptness in formal affairs, he does manage to make a strong positive impression on King Mulambon of Zambezi during the latter's state visit. The two monarchs share their concerns about both the role of leadership that they have assumed and the economic interests of their respective nations. Having turned his blue-collar background into an advantage, Ralph begins accumulating a small but loyal and compassionate following.

Ralph's staff arrange for him to marry Princess Anna of Finland; Ralph soon receives her and her parents on an official state visit. He then discovers that she has an unusually deep voice. "We have nothing in common and she has a voice like a tuba. If she had her way, we'd have sex on a bed of nails on national television, but at least the party stinks", says Ralph. However, Graves has photos of Miranda and Ralph passed around at the royal ball, which, along with Ralph's wild rendition of "Good Golly Miss Molly" on a harpsichord, ruin any chance of a Royal marriage and causes a Finnish company to award a coveted contract to the Japanese. Having failed to realize that the role of King comes with formal expectations, and that he cannot rely entirely on his charm or blue-collar background, Ralph accepts a stern rebuke from Sir Cedric Willingham and endeavors to set things right. The palace staff begins an investigation and soon realizes that Ralph was set up through Gordon Halliwell, the Palace butler; Miranda confesses to Ralph her role in the scandal. Ralph starts developing his suspicions about the heir to the throne. His suspicions are confirmed when he gets Duncan to confess and learns that Willingham is another heir to the throne and had initially refused to accept the role.

The next day Ralph addresses Parliament. Finally adopting the dignified manner and composure befitting a monarch, he publicly apologizes for his recent actions and then informs Parliament that he has helped work out a deal with the King of Zambezi that will create British jobs. He then reveals that Graves has been working to sabotage his succession to the throne and has him arrested for violating the Treason Act of 1702. Finally, he tells the British people that while he tried his best to be a good king, he admits that his best will never be good enough and that he believes the British people deserve a better monarch. Thus, he has decided to abdicate his throne, and reveals that Willingham will succeed him.

Willingham becomes King Cedric I, and Ralph is free to pursue his romantic relationship with Miranda, along with his dreams of being a rock star. Ralph bids a tearful goodbye to his friends and his newly discovered relative. King Cedric creates Ralph the third Duke of Warren, with a lucrative annual salary (ironically when Ralph first became king he was told the king "doesn't get a salary, as such"), a palace in the country, and a state-of-the-art recording studio. A few years later, Miranda (now Miranda, Duchess of Warren) is sitting with her and Ralph's young son, watching her husband perform with his musical group (Ralph and the Dukettes). The child is identified in the credits as Baby Ralph II, suggesting that he might someday succeed the childless Cedric as monarch.