Noor Malhotra
The concept of two lookalike protagonists switching places is one that has been covered since time immemorial in cinematic history, yet it seems to be a notion we can’t get enough of. Be it ‘Freaky Friday,’ ‘Switched at Birth,’ ’13 Going on 30,’ or even the ‘Shrek’ franchise, such movies have been immensely popular and embedded themselves in popular culture, spanning several spin-offs and remakes.
Hence, especially after the first film’s success, it is no surprise that Vanessa Hudgens is back again, doing what she does best in ‘The Princess Switch: Switched Again.’ The movie has the actress playing a triple role this time around. So, if you’re curious about the ending, then this article is for you.
The Princess Switch: Switched Again Plot Synopsis
Following the events of ‘The Princess Switch,’ Stacy has been married to Prince Edward of Belgravia for two years. Kevin and Margaret, however, have broken up. When the King of Montenaro passes away, Margaret is set to become the Queen since she is next in line for the throne. A few days before her coronation, Edward, Kevin, Olivia, and Stacy reach Montenaro to help the future monarch.
In order to fix her relationship with Kevin, Stacy and Margaret decide to switch places so that the monarch has more time on her hands. However, it turns out that Lady Fiona Pembroke, Margaret’s cousin (and a lookalike), intends to steal some of the monarch’s fortune by switching places with her. So Fiona hatches a conspiracy to kidnap the future Queen. However, all does not go according to the cousin’s plan.
The Princess Switch: Switched Again Ending
Fiona and Antonio get the coronation rescheduled for Christmas Eve instead. Luckily, Stacy, Margaret, and Edward show up in time to stop Fiona from being crowned Queen. Although Antonio tries to have Margaret arrested, Stacy puts an end to the ploy when she reveals that Fiona had kidnapped her instead of Margaret. Then, Margaret has Antonio thrown in the dungeons. Fiona tells the real Queen-to-be that she has always admired her and even calls Margaret her “only real family.”
Since Margaret does feel bad for her cousin, she states that she will put in a word for a reduced sentenced that will focus more on community service. Previously, at the palace, Fiona had sent Kevin packing, and so he heads to the airport with his daughter, Olivia. Luckily, the royal bunch catches up with him in the nick of time. Stacy explains the entire kidnapping ordeal to her best friend, following which, Margaret asks Kevin to marry him.
He states that he had wanted to pop the question last year itself. Spontaneously, after seeing a minister, the two decide to get married at the terminal in an adorable ceremony. It is now Christmas Day, and Margaret’s coronation has arrived. She carries herself regally as she is finally crowned the Queen of Montenaro once and for all. At her side is her new husband, Kevin, with whom she shares a kiss.
Antonio’s Contribution to the Plot
At first, Antonio is shown as the somewhat smitten aid who is trying to impress Margaret. He is also one of the reasons why she and Kevin are not able to spend much time together. When the former couple is supposed to go for a drive, Antonio tells her that there is something important she needs to tend to, so Margaret ditches Kevin. However, Antonio gifts her a necklace and essentially hits on her. Plus, from the very beginning, you can tell that his intentions are not pure, especially when he tries to disparage Kevin in the larger (and more royal) scheme of things.
At this point in the film, it feels as though Antonio will be quite the adversary who will make Kevin fight for what he loves. Eventually, however, it starts feeling as though Antonio doesn’t really do much for the story. Sure, we find out that his motivations for betraying his Queen are financial in nature, which is why he teams up with Fiona. But if he were removed from the movie completely, then no one would really miss him.
We agree that Antonio makes Margaret realize her true potential since he constantly undermines her. But let’s be realistic! She is a person of power and authority, and no matter how great Margaret is at what she does, people will always be ready to discredit her. So if Antonio were absent from the movie, then there could just as easily be someone else in his spot. It’s not as if he brings something unique to the table.
Then, there’s the fact that Antonio constantly interrupts meetings between Kevin and Margaret, which makes them feel as though they don’t get a lot of time together. This eventually prompts the female protagonists to switch places. We’d like to point out that Margaret is a royal after all, and that it is not because of Antonio that the girls switch places. Instead, it is because the future Queen wants to spend some more time with the man she loves.
The nature of Margaret’s “job” is such that she will always have to place the public first, even before her own needs. So it’s not like Antonio is very instrumental in making the switch happen since there are a plethora of other reasons that also make Margaret feel alienated from Kevin. While we’re not denying that Antonio adds fuel to this fire of confusion brewing inside her, it’s just that, in our opinion, he is quite replaceable.
Read More: Where Was The Princess Switch: Switched Again Filmed?
