One Liner - US down to earth teen goes to meet her dad for the first time who is an English Lord.
Voiceover by Daphne Reynolds reveals she celebrated her 15th birthday dressed to the nines and secretly wishing her missing father that she has never met would turn up as a surprise. Every birthday after this fails to happen and all the kids have left, she asks her mum to tell her the story again.
Her mum obliges and the story is that once there was a free spirited American musician who went out to seek her fortune and while she was waving goodbye to a bus, fell backwards down a sand dune. As she was crying out during her tumble, a British man runs towards her at the base and then catches her. He is incredibly handsome and they fall deeply in love. They are even married by a Bedouin Chief.
She finds out that he is a British Lord but on their return to Britain the rest of his family are not so keen on Libby (the mother) and so Libby leaves and months later back in the US discovers she is pregnant with the most beautiful, loveable baby daughter.
She finishes by saying: you never get tired of that story, do you?
Voiceover announces it is now her 17th birthday and the same thing has happened again. She confronts her mum about finding out more. Her mum says she never told Henry (her dad) that there was a baby. Daphne is keen to make something happen but Libby says it is more complicated than she can imagine.
Daphne is not satisfied and sneaks out the next day with a ticket to London. Libby discovers a recorded message later that day and heaves a big sigh, seeing no way to stop her daughter from finding out for herself.
Daphne arrives and is enchanted by London and winds up at a backpacker hostel that has a grand name but looks terrible. Upon her arrival, she sees a handsome young man seated on a desk, strumming a guitar and singing melodically. She says it is beautiful and also notes the make of his guitar. He asks if she is a musician and she says no, the person she lives with is one. The guy looks downcast, so Daphne says, "it's my mum." He cheers up right away and puts the "Reception" sign on the desk and introduces himself as Ian Wallace. She suddenly turns to the tv which is broadcasting a news story on Lord Henry Dashwood who is running for prime minister and says it is her dad. (presumably later she tells Ian the whole story). Ian then shows her all the things that don't work and give her a primer for UK language. (eg she doesn't know what a loo is).
Daphne shows up at the Dashwood mansion and a guard asks if she has an appointment. Unable to bypass him, she goes round the back and scales a wall. Inside, Henry's now fiancee Glynis Payne and her daughter Clarissa are seated to tea discussing their plans of grandeur (i.e. when Glynis becomes a lady) and how they are going to get rid of the old staff and throw balls at the mansion, when Clarissa says she just saw a large bird fall off the wall. Daphne makes her way by hiding behind statues to one of the french doors when Clarissa screams. Daphne takes off but is caught by Henry who drags her inside and says that the paparazzi are really getting too much. However, he notes that Daphne appears to be very young, no more than 17 and then says fine you can take my photo but then you must leave.
Daphne says she already has a photo and shows the one of him back when he had met Libby. He asks where she had got that, and she says from her mother Libby. And then she presents him with her birth certificate which names him as the father. Everyone else comes in and figures out how best to deal with the issue because it is politically sensitive. Henry looks nostalgic to the horror of Glynis thinking of her plans of ladyship. They discuss getting a hotel room for Daphne but Clarissa says that would look good in the paper, a Lord hiring a room for a teenager. At that moment, Henry's mother Jocelyn agrees it would be scandalous and states the best thing to do is to keep Daphne here in the home. Much to the joint horror of Glynis, Clarissa and Glynis's father, Alistair.
As Henry exits the room, Glynis follows him and brings up that he was the one who first stated doubt about his paternity and what happened to that. Henry replies by saying "She has my eyes".
Jocelyn takes a shine to Daphne and takes her to a grand room. Henry meets with some advisors, including Alistair, who ask how he wants to handle the media attention. Henry states that Daphne seems quite mature and well mannered, which are cut with scenes of Daphne jumping on the bed, screaming and running around in her socks.
Clarissa takes a call from Ian but is told there is no Daphne here. Ian tells her to pass on the message if she meets Daphne. Clarissa hangs up resolved not to tell Daphne at all.
Daphne goes to Henry's study and gives him a book of photos of herself growing up. He only glances at it this time but later on at a more troubled time he takes comfort in looking through more of the photos. He calls Libby who asks "is she there?" and Henry confirms all is fine. He asks why she never told him, and his sentiments echo Daphne's (i.e. he was never given a choice. Daphne condemned her mother for not at least telling Henry so that he could decide for himself whether he was going to get involved).
Henry invites Daphne to a dress show however on the day the family are waiting downstairs and Daphne decides to spruce up by using some perfume inside the bathroom. Unfortunately it smells terrible and then a comedy of errors occurs with her trying to wash it off, a rogue spinning water hose and Clarissa and Glynis convincing Henry to just sent Daphne in another car when she is ready. Daphne arrives just as the front doors close. She again utilises the back to get in. Unfortunately she asks whether this is the direction to the show of a stage manager who has his hands full and says yes yes get on! thinking one of his models has said it. Daphne appears in the spotlight, much to the shock of Henry, Glynis, Alistair and Clarissa who has already informed her friends of the low class American she now has to live with. Daphne recovers and pretends she is a model, strutting the stage, and Prince William comments that she is hot to one of his friends. Clarissa tries to blow it off that it is no big deal when one friend asks her doesn't she worry because if her mother marries then she will be xx to the throne? Her other friend says she should worry because if Daphne prevents the marriage they will only be xx in line to the throne (i.e. much further, the marriage to Henry would give them a substantial leg up).
Highborn Armistead Stuart, who Clarissa has hopes for, makes a play Daphne but she is not interested.
Henry tells Daphne they are invited to a coming out (debut) for Peach and Pear Orwood. He tells Daphne they will get a dress for her but Glynis tells him she has already got one. The dress turns out to be hideous so Sydney rearranges a few things with the help of scissors. Clarissa makes a threat to Daphne and tells her to keep her mind off trying to break into their plans and definitely keep her hands off Armistead. Daphne makes comparisons, which show how opposite they are, so why would Clarissa presume she would be interested in someone like Armistead? She also mentions didn't you see Cinderella? Guess what, I win!
On the night, she has the ugly bit draped over her like a cape so that Glynis and Clarissa don't notice, but as she comes down the stairs, she gives her cape to an attendant and looks beautiful in a turquoise gown. Armistead grabs her leaving her unable to get away, but as they whirl around on the dancefloor she realises Ian is fronting the band.
Later she goes out to the terrace and finds him and he asks if she is going to disappear again. Disaster strikes when she makes Ian agree to liven up the party, as Peach and Pear will be dubbed the most boring if this goes on. Daphne has a soft spot for them after witnessing Clarissa and her friends torturing the two of them. As the amp goes up and the party gets pumping, Lord Orwood's famous chandelier which was once given by Napolean to Josephine, cracks from the ceiling and falls to the ground, smashing into hundreds of pieces.
The next day Henry is trying to get to know Daphne and Glynis is horrified to see father and daughter behaving the same way like synchronised dancers, eg same method of spreading jam, same way of tasting and same way of eating toast. She tells Henry he needs to get on to make a meeting just as they are bonding about what bands they like. Just as he gets to the doorway, he notices a motorbike parked out the front. He then turns around to see Ian. He gets protective which is exacerbated as Ian makes a joke that he and Daphne are eloping on the bike (in reference to what Henry and Libby did at the start of the film). Just then Daphne arrives and she and Ian leave. Henry looks panicked then runs back into the house where he calls Libby and says someone has just taken their daughter on the back of a bike. Libby enjoys hearing Henry panic in a parent way. Libby reminds Henry this is the same as what they did. Henry says it is different. Henry asks if the worry ever goes away and she says it does not.
Ian then shows her around London and they have a great time. Daphne reveals that she is worried she has done the wrong thing after all and maybe she should just go home. Ian asks why. Daphne says Henry has a life, and he even has a family, i.e. his fiancee. Ian asks if she travelled across the world just to give up. Daphne tells him it is time to straighten up and she can't keep misbehaving. She enlists Ian to teach her. They go out on a row boat where Ian attempts to teach her deportment. She asks him why he knows all this. He reveals that his mother was actually upper class but married beneath her and the whole family denounced her. However, when he was born, the grandparents decided he needed a proper education so he got into all the good schools and clubs but after a while he realised it was not who he was and left. Now he works a number of jobs to support himself through school. They try the deportment again and Daphne loses her balance which tips the both of them into the pond. Laughing they climb back into the boat and Ian says that he admires her for who she is. They then share their first kiss.
Daphne goes to a rowing meet where she runs into Ian again this time being a parking attendant. While she is being hurried away, Alistair sees and hurries over to Ian to tell him to back off and that Daphne is too good for a parking attendant. However, after pestering Daphne on a jetty, Daphne tricks him into thinking she will kiss him but pushes him into the water at the last minute. Due to the media sensation, Henry becomes protective again, and asks Ian for the keys to his bike, he then drives off with Daphne through the gardens with the press chasing them. Henry and Daphne spend the day together walking around and having fun. He asks Daphne if Libby has had any other boyfriends but Daphne tells him there never have been and sometimes she sees when her mother feels lonely. When he arrives home, Henry tries on his old leather riding pants and is posing in front of the mirror when Glynis arrives. Glynis tearfully leaves asking where the Henry she loves has gone. Henry looks a bit sad but then returns to posing.
Alistair gives Henry some stern words which fail to impress until the two of them enter the house of commons rooms, where all the other party members fall silent and give Henry a stony glare.
Henry returns home and sadly tells Daphne he needs to speak to her. He shows her all their forebears of the Dashwood clan, all who have lost something for their country, eg arms, legs, eyes during battles. He says to be a Dashwood you must sometimes give up something. Daphne finishes by saying and I am a Dashwood. Henry leaves and Daphne looks up at a particularly stern painting and says what are you staring at? I can change!
We then go through a series of clips of Daphne having proper hairdos, nice suits in neutral and pastel colours, heels instead of boots and looking more and more gloomy at each event.
Ian shows up one day and says you aren't wearing that to The Strokes? Daphne admits she forgot, but when he asks her to change, she says she can't go because she has to go to a garden party. Ian says tell me when the real Daphne gets back in your body and leaves.
Jocelyn tells Daphne not to let Clarissa and Glynis get to her because they are jealous. She also reveals that Alistair used to be advisor to her own husband until he died and now he is advisor to her son, Henry. She says Alistair has got his claws into Henry for his own gain, and she stopped being interested in peerage after she saw what it did to many friends.
Daphne is to be presented/debut'd so Jocelyn gives Daphne her own tiara that she wore to her debut. She tells Daphne that Clarissa has had her eye on it for a long time. Henry tries to explain what the coming out is for but does terribly.
Daphne is the belle of the ball and Ian is again in the band, however he has nothing to say to Daphne and turns his back. Daphne realises her mother has arrived and goes to hug her She then brings Libby to Henry. Glynis is shocked but tells Henry he ought to find a nice escort for Libby. Daphne rises to her defence by asking why, why can't Henry escort her? Helplessly, Glynis and Alistair follow Henry and Libby to the ballroom. While Henry is with Libby, Glynis is having a meltdown and Alistair tells her not to worry, he will make Daphne go away just like he made Libby go away. This is overheard by Daphne. Further, Alistair reveals Libby was already pregnant when he sent her away. Daphne says: you knew? and begins to argue. Glynis grabs her by the wrist and takes her to a room and locks her in. Just then the bank announces the father and daughter dance. When Daphne fails to appear, Glynis is on stand by and tells Henry that he might as well dance with Clarissa since she is almost his daughter anyway. Reluctantly he does so.
Libby runs off in search of Daphne and hears her calling out. She lets Daphne out who runs back to the ballroom and sees Clarissa and Henry. She marches up to them and says to Clarissa, you should have what you deserve and gives her the coveted tiara. Ian looks at her meaningfully. She and Libby then leave.
There are then sad scenes shown of everyone alone. Ian stands on London Bridge pining for Daphne. Daphne can't eat her coco pops. Henry can't sleep.
Henry and the Payne clan go to a party meeting where Henry thanks his constituents for voting for him again after the earlier media issues. However, he has decided that while he believes passionately in his political activities, there is one thing that is much more important and for that reason he is standing down. As he leaves the shocked Payne's standing on the podium it appears many people stand as he leaves and look at him with respect. Outside Alistair runs after him yelling how far he has brought him and reveals the things he did including getting Libby away from him after he found out she was pregnant. Henry is infuriated how Alistair could do such a thing - he always believed Libby had left him of her own accord. He punches Alistair. Glynis, desperate for peerage, runs after him and says what about me, I wasn't involved with that. Henry turns around and says you will manage.
Back in the US Libby returns to her paid gigs and is working at a wedding, singing in front of a band. Daphne is waiting tables again at the party. Another waitress tells Daphne to pick it up but Daphne replies she's trying to get her college application finished. Sympathetically the other waitress says she will cover. Just then the father daughter dance is starting and Libby looks sadly over at Daphne who has to sit down. A rowboat arrives and Henry steps out onto the jetty. Because Daphne is facing the wrong way, she doesn't realise, but Libby sees him straight away and can't begin singing. One of her band members tries to figure out what is happening and covers for her. Because of this, Daphne turns around to find out what Libby is staring at and comes face to face with Henry.
Henry fumbles and pulls out a wad of paper saying he tried to write a speech twenty times on the flight and when he can't find the right one he says well it basically comes down to I love you Daphne. They then hug and join the other father daughter couple on the dancefloor while Libby starts crying. Then Henry says it wouldn't be right to come all this way without a present. At which Ian then cuts in on the dance. Daphne sees Henry take Libby to the dancefloor and kiss.
Epilogue - the whole family move back to London, all the old staff are kept on, Jocelyn who doesn't give a fig about peerage anymore gets the butler to sit down with them for lunch, Daphne goes to Oxford Uni and dates Ian, Clarissa marries Armistead and Glynis marries Lord Oswood. Alistair doesn't have as much luck though and now runs guided tours on the red double decker buses.
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