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Chapter 10
Themes
and Colors
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Red, White & Royal Blue, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Sexuality, Desire, and Duty
Media, Public Relations, and Gossip
Family and Support
Friendship and Honesty
National Politics and Social Issues
Summary
Analysis
A few hours after getting home, Alex emails Henry to tell Henry he’s brave, just like Luke Skywalker was. Henry has to come back to the U.S. sometime so they can do touristy stuff in Texas. Alex also offers his support if Henry genuinely does want to come out to the rest of his family, though no pressure. Fortunately, Ellen didn’t get too upset with Alex for escaping to London. Henry replies with a joking paragraph about holing up in Alex’s room forever to eat pastries and have sex. However, he’s stuck in England, and both Gran and Philip are pressuring him to enlist in the military. He’d love to visit Texas, but for now, he’s staying in England. Bea has offered to help him come out to Philip, and he’ll probably let her. Both men close with romantic quotes from historical figures.
Alex’s visit to London offered them both a much-needed reprieve, but Henry’s email in particular suggests that the pressure on him from his family is only mounting. Gran—the queen of England—has very clear ideas about who and what Henry should be, and Philip seems hell-bent on backing her up as she pressures Henry into conforming. This continues to illustrate the support that Henry is lacking from his family. Bea, on the other hand, continues to stand up for her brother, making sure he knows he'll always have her support.
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Alex responds, panicking about Henry joining the military. He’d love it if they could live together in some London apartment and be normal people. They can think about it more after the election. In his reply, Henry shares how coming out to Philip went “so horribly, horribly, unbelievably badly.” Henry ended up very bluntly telling Philip he’s gay, and Philip, it turns out, is more upset that Henry won’t pretend to be straight to “ensur[e] the perpetuity of the bloodline” than that Henry is gay. Maybe, Henry muses, he should move to New York and run Pez’s youth shelter. Then, he tells Alex how he felt the first time they met. Alex seemed so alive and unafraid, and then, shockingly, they fell in love.
Philip as much as tells Henry that his private life is private, but that he expects Henry to continue to act the part of a straight prince in public (and have children, thereby “ensuring the perpetuity of the bloodline”). This heartbreakingly illustrates that Henry’s wealth and privilege doesn’t protect him from harm in all cases. It’s somewhat ironic that he considers moving to New York to run the LGBTQ youth shelter. He is, of course, too old to be considered a youth, but he’s facing much the same kind of lack of support at home as the shelter’s residents face.
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Alex sends his condolences to Henry for Philip’s reaction. To try and make Henry feel better, he writes a list of 20 things he loves about Henry. They range from Henry’s cultural knowledge to his smell, from his willingness to try things to his body. Alex writes that he realizes now how much it must’ve hurt Henry to suggest they not be together. He apologizes for his complicity in hurting Henry. Alex and Henry continue to end their emails with romantic quotes from historical figures’ letters to spouses, friends, or lovers.
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