E!O-M-G!
The Royals is back, better than ever and delving even deeper into the mystery of who murdered King Simon and possibly Prince Robert. Sunday night's juicy season premiere proves there are still more secrets and lies to uncover within the dysfunctional royal family!
King Cyrus (Jake Maskall) is now the head monarch in charge, but he is struggling to make the people like him. He is so desperate for popularity that he starts throwing money—with his face on it—to the crowd at a polo match. "You know, the last King didn't actually have to buy their affection," Princess Eleanor (Alexandra Park) tells him truthfully.
Prince Liam (William Moseley) and Princess Eleanor have been out of control since Cyrus stripped them of their titles and kicked them out of the palace. After a discussion with Queen Helena about improving the palace's (and his) public image, he decides to welcome them back with open arms—but only if they apologize and kiss his ring!
Liam denies the gratuitous request, but Eleanor gives in and says sorry for both her and her brother. When Liam confronts her about it, she tells him it's all part of the plan. "If we want answers, we need access," she says. "You want to find out who killed Robert, yes? Who killed dad? We need to be in the palace and now we are." So sneaky.
Later on, during Liam's polo match, Eleanor spots Jasper (Tom Austen), her former bodyguard, spying on her from across the field. She's so angry to see him she stomps across the lawn while the game is in progress to confront him. "You realize you're stalking me?!" she says. "I saw you in Paris. I saw you in Spain skulking about in the shadows. Stop following me!"
He coolly replies, "With all due respect, Princess, I think you might be more appropriate. You're traveling without security. You've pretty much been a s--t show." Then Eleanor retorts, "How I've been or where I've been are the concerns of a boyfriend or a bodyguard, neither of which you are any longer."
When Jasper asks what it will take for her to forgive him, she snaps. "Nothing, Jasper," she says. "But a few words of advice, for whatever foolish girl you decide to stalk next, mother's vagina—deal breaker!"
Meanwhile, Liam decides to play detective after the match to find out Cyrus' whereabouts the night King Simon was stabbed. At the reception, he sets his sights on Parliament member James Holloway to find out the truth about his uncle's alibi. But when James refuses to talk, Jasper steps in to lend a hand by taking out his henchman.
When they corner him, James is still reluctant to tell Liam anything, but the Prince forces him to talk by pointing Jasper's loaded gun at his head. That's when he finally confesses that Cyrus in fact was not with him that fateful night! The plot thickens...
Elsewhere, Queen Helena (Elizabeth Hurley) cooks up a scheme to secretly steal the throne from Cyrus' daughters, Penelope and Maribel. She convinces Nigel Moorefield, the leader of the anti-monarchy movement, to seduce them and make them fall in love with him. If anything should accidentally happen to Cyrus, she would be the next in line.
But that's not even the worst of it. She also ensures her devious plan will work by blackmailing the Prime Minister into following her plot after she discovers his naughty, Fifty Shades of Grey preferences in the bedroom. Yikes!
Later, Liam pays a visit to Ted Pryce, the palace's head of security and, you know, Ophelia's dad. Awkward alert! Liam reveals he hasn't heard from his ex since he left her in New York City and neither has her father. Ted then tells Liam that his security will be reinstated, so he requests Jasper for his detail. We smell a sexy bromance cooking!
Afterward, Queen Helena catches Liam staring at a portrait of King Simon. She gifts him with a pair of Simon's cufflinks and begins to reminisce. "You are very similar to him," she says. "People used to say that about Robert, but Simon had tenacity and drive and a lot of the qualities that you have."
"Do you realize that you're talking about a man who supposedly is not my biological father?" he asks. "When it comes to your greatness, biology is irrelevant," her mother responds. "Try telling that to the crown," Liam retorts. "I appreciate the cufflinks, mom, but what I don't appreciate is the small talk. This monarchy is everything he tried to end and we both know it."
After dissing and dismissing his mother, Liam then goes to meet with Jasper, aka his new security detail. He brings up an uncomfortable topic when he asks him what went down between him and Eleanor. "We had a relationship, sort of. You know what she's like," Jasper tells him. "Then, she had me arrested." Liam then asks why. "Because I slept with your mom," he replies. Cue Liam's disgusted face.
Despite the surprising and unpleasant revelation, Liam is ready to trust Jasper as he tries to uncover his father and brother's killers. "As far as Eleanor goes, the rest is yours to fix," Liam tells him. Then, he shows him the Domino necklace that was around his neck the night Simon was murdered. "We figure this out, we figure out who's been killing my family and then we make them pay."
Back at the palace, King Cyrus gets a blast from his past. Prudence, the maid he blackmailed into performing sexual favors, returns with a mother of a secret: She's pregnant!
In an ironic twist, Prudence turns the tables on Cyrus and tries to blackmail him. Of course, Cyrus is not one to back down to the help. "I don't care what the people think of me, and I don't care if you go to the press," he says. "I've got 99 problems, but a bitch ain't one." Cyrus is so cold to his future baby mama, yet we have a feeling this isn't the last we'll see of her.
Following his chat with Liam, Jasper tries to makes amends by visiting Eleanor in her room and apologizing. She doesn't respond immediately, but makes a move to follow him after he leaves. However, as she opens the door, she receives a big surprise: Beck is standing there in all of his super-hot glory and he tells her that he left his wife!
In the most shocking moment of the episode, Queen Helena looks out over the balcony to see the Domino emblem burning in the palace lawn. Her mother, the Grand Duchess Alexandra of Oxford (Joan Collins), then walks over and also sees the message. "Do you think they did it?" Queen Helena asks. Alexandra cryptically replies, "Of course they did. We kill one of theirs, they kill two of ours. The question is what do you plan to do about it?" Whaaat?!
Watch an all-new episode of The Royals next Sunday at 10 p.m., only on E!