Yes, the accent slippage was obnoxious. However, my problem is a plot hole: Milo should have a courtesy title, being the heir apparent of the ducal title. And as the daughter of the man who had been the heir apparent, Maddie should be addressed as Lady Maddie, by the staff in the very least, and also by that snotty Lady Arabella.
Of course, Lord Ashton (which is, as the second son of a duke, his proper title), did say he was a prince thru his mother (presumably a European princess, and therefore able to pass the title on), then actually Milo and Maddie should also be a prince and princess, and thus be addressed as Your (Serene) Highness.
There are some other problems as well: As the housekeeper, Mrs. Birch should NOT be wearing the same uniform as the maids, and there is only one butler in a great house. Milo would have his own valet, not butler.
Not a very well researched movie. Yes, yes, I know it's Christmas fluff, but is it SO hard to get things right when it's so easy to research?
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kim_olemissrebel
10 years ago
Actually I think in this case Ashton as the second son inherited his Mother's title so he was a prince. His older brother would have inherited the duke title from their father.
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reganx-6-995315
10 years ago
However, my problem is a plot hole: Milo should have a courtesy title, being the heir apparent of the ducal title. And as the daughter of the man who had been the heir apparent, Maddie should be addressed as Lady Maddie, by the staff in the very least, and also by that snotty Lady Arabella.
Of course, Lord Ashton (which is, as the second son of a duke, his proper title), did say he was a prince thru his mother (presumably a European princess, and therefore able to pass the title on), then actually Milo and Maddie should also be a prince and princess, and thus be addressed as Your (Serene) Highness.
That bugged me too. If Milo's father was the eldest son, Milo would be heir apparent to the ducal title (and the estate if it was entailed) unless it was a case of him being born before his parents were married and ineligible to succeed his grandfather as a result.
Maddie may not have been entitled to a courtesy title if her father was never the Duke and did not have a courtesy title of his own, ie. the way the heir apparent to a ducal title or a marquessate might be styled Earl of Someplace by courtesy, in which case his daughters would be styled Lady Firstname. The children not being a prince and princess is also possible if it was a case of the title only being transmitted a certain number of generations from a sovereign, and Charles and Ashton were the last generation to be entitled to it.
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