''The Princess Diaries'' is a series of

epistolary Epistolary means "relating to an epistle or letter". It may refer to: * Epistolary (), a Christian liturgical book containing set readings for church services from the New Testament Epistles * Epistolary novel, a novel written as a series of lette ...

young adult In medicine and the social sciences, a young adult is generally a person in the years following adolescence, sometimes with some overlap. Definitions and opinions on what qualifies as a young adult vary, with works such as Erik Erikson's stages ...

novels written by

Meg Cabot Meggin Patricia Cabot (born February 1, 1967) is an American novelist. She has written and published over 50 novels of young adult and adult fiction and is best known for her young adult series ''The Princess Diaries'', which was later adapted b ...

, and is also the title of the first volume, published in 2000. The series spent 48 weeks on the New York Times Children's Series Best Sellers List. The series revolves around Amelia "Mia" Thermopolis, a teenager in New York City who discovers that she is the princess of a small European

principality A principality (or sometimes princedom) is a type of monarchy, monarchical state or feudalism, feudal territory ruled by a prince or princess. It can be either a sovereign state or a constituent part of a larger political entity. The term "prin ...

called Genovia. The series follows Mia's life throughout high school in the 2000s and juggling regular teenage life with being a royal princess. The books are noted for containing many pop culture references from the 2000s that influence some of the plot. Meg Cabot quotes the series' inspiration on her website stating: "I was inspired to write ''The Princess Diaries'' when my mom, after the death of my father, began dating one of my teachers; they later went on to get married just as Mia's mom does in the book! I have always had a 'thing' for princesses (my parents used to joke that when I was smaller, I did a lot of insisting that my 'real' parents, the king and queen, were going to come get me soon, and that everyone had better start being a ''lot'' nicer to me) so I stuck a princess in the book just for kicks... and ''voilà''! The ''Princess Diaries'' was born."''The Princess Diaries'', Vol I
''Meg Cabot'' In 2015, a spin-off series for tweens launched. Mia's half-sister Olivia made her debut in ''

From the Notebooks of a Middle School Princess Meggin Patricia Cabot (born February 1, 1967) is an American novelist. She has written and published over 50 novels of young adult and adult fiction and is best known for her young adult series ''The Princess Diaries'', which was later adapted b ...

'', released in May 2015. The latest book in ''The Princess Diaries'' series, titled ''The Quarantine Princess Diaries'', was published in March 2023.

Setting

The series is set primarily in the Manhattan borough of

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

. Some books take place in Genovia, a fictional European country. Genovia is a principality between France and Italy ruled by Mia's father, Prince Philippe Renaldi, and by Mia's grandmother, Dowager Princess Clarisse Renaldi.

Characters

Mia Thermopolis

Amelia Mignonette Grimaldi Thermopolis Renaldo (Amelia Mignonette Thermopolis Renaldi in the movies), Princess of Genovia is the

protagonist A protagonist () is the main character of a story. The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing the story and propelling it forward, and is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles. If a ...

of the series. She is the daughter of Helen Thermopolis, a painter, and Philippe Renaldo, the crown prince of Genovia. Mia is also the Princess Regent of Genovia. Mia is sometimes shy and has a down-to-earth personality, though on occasion Mia shows herself to be quite sarcastic and sly. Throughout the series, she is very critical of herself, describing herself as flat-chested, taller than most girls at 5-foot-9, and having embarrassingly large feet. She also has a tendency to over-analyze things and worry too much. In the 2001 film, ''

The Princess Diaries ''The Princess Diaries'' is a series of epistolary young adult novels written by Meg Cabot, and is also the title of the first volume, published in 2000. The series spent 48 weeks on the New York Times Children's Series Best Sellers List. The ...

'', Mia (portrayed by

Anne Hathaway Anne Jacqueline Hathaway (born November 12, 1982) is an American actress. List of awards and nominations received by Anne Hathaway, Her accolades include an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Primetime ...

) is aged 15, unlicensed, and owns a 1965 Mustang. She has similar qualities, but her father dies two months prior to when the movie begins, and her last name is Renaldi instead of Renaldo. She lives in San Francisco instead of New York.

Clarisse Marie Grimaldi Renaldo, Dowager Princess of Genovia

Clarisse Maria was formally known as Clarisse Marie Grimaldi Renaldo, Dowager Princess of Genovia. Clarisse is the

dowager A dowager is a widow or widower who holds a title or property – a "dower" – derived from her or his deceased spouse. As an adjective, ''dowager'' usually appears in association with monarchical and aristocratic titles. In popular usage, the n ...

princess of Genovia and Mia's paternal grandmother. Mia refers to her as "Grand-mère" (French for "Grandmother"). As a young woman, she married Prince Rupert Renaldi and had two sons. She speaks French most of the time, but she can also speak English; however, she disdains English as a vulgar language. She is almost always accompanied by her miniature poodle, Rommel, who is notable for having a severe case of OCD that causes him to lick his own fur off. She smokes often and enjoys drinking

sidecars A sidecar is a one-wheeled device attached to the side of a motorcycle, scooter, or bicycle, making the whole a three-wheeled vehicle. The combination of a motorcycle with a sidecar is sometimes called a ''rig'', ''outfit'', or ''hack''. Hist ...

. She is not above lying or manipulating others in order to get her own way.

Lilly Moscovitz

Mia's best friend since kindergarten, Lilly is a highly intelligent and opinionated person who has her own

public-access television Public-access television (sometimes called community-access television) is traditionally a form of non-commercial mass media where the general public can create content television programming which is Narrowcasting, narrowcast through cable tele ...

show, titled ''Lilly Tells It Like It Is'', in which she discusses political and social issues. By the end of the series, her TV show is picked up by a network and is apparently very popular in South Korea. Lilly is not considered to be very pretty; Mia often describes her face as being "squashed in like a pug's". However, she has a well-developed figure. In the 2001 Disney Movie, Lilly, portrayed by

Heather Matarazzo Heather Matarazzo (born November 10, 1982) is an American actress. She is known for playing Lilly Moscovitz in '' The Princess Diaries'' (2001) and its 2004 sequel, and Martha Meeks in ''Scream 3'' (2000) and '' Scream'' (2022). Matarazzo made ...

, is portrayed as intelligent, confident, and socially conscious. Her talk show is called "Shut Up and Listen". She is then a student at Berkeley in '' The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement''. Mia appoints Lilly as her royal secretary.

Michael Moscovitz

Lilly's older brother, and Mia's main love interest throughout the series. Michael is tall and has brown eyes and thick, dark hair. Mia insists that he is the third best-looking guy at AEHS after Josh Richter and Justin Baxendale and describes his nose as aquiline, mouth as "eminently kissable", and neck as

aroma An odor (American English) or odour (Commonwealth English; see spelling differences) is a smell or a scent caused by one or more volatilized chemical compounds generally found in low concentrations that humans and many animals can perceive v ...

tic due to an intoxicating blend of

Tide Tides are the rise and fall of sea levels caused by the combined effects of the gravitational forces exerted by the Moon (and to a much lesser extent, the Sun) and are also caused by the Earth and Moon orbiting one another. Tide tables ...

from his shirt collar, his

Gillette Gillette is an American brand of safety razors and other personal care products including shaving supplies, owned by the multi-national corporation Procter & Gamble (P&G). Based in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, it was owned by The Gil ...

shaving foam, and

Ivory soap Ivory () is an American flagship personal care brand created by the Procter & Gamble Company (P&G), including varieties of white and mildly scented bar soap that became famous for its claim of purity and for floating on water. Over the years, t ...

. Though he often clashes with his younger sister, Michael and Lilly are in fact close siblings and friends. He used to run his own

webzine An online magazine is a magazine published on the Internet, through bulletin board systems and other forms of public computer networks. One of the first magazines to convert from a print magazine format to an online only magazine was the computer ...

, ''Crackhead,'' but had to disband it after an editorial stating the merits of

Linux Linux ( ) is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an kernel (operating system), operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991, by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically package manager, pac ...

over Windows, which caused a loss of advertisers and funds. Shortly after this, Michael starts a band called

Skinner Box An operant conditioning chamber (also known as a Skinner box) is a laboratory apparatus used to study animal behavior. The operant conditioning chamber was created by B. F. Skinner while he was a graduate student at Harvard University. The c ...

(a name suggested by Mia) with a few friends, including Boris Pelkowski.

Tina Hakim Baba

A student at AEHS, Tina is the daughter of a

Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in West Asia. Located in the centre of the Middle East, it covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula and has a land area of about , making it the List of Asian countries ...

n oil sheik and a British former

supermodel A supermodel is a highly paid fashion model who has a worldwide reputation and background in ''haute couture'' and commercial modeling. The term became popular in the 1990s. Supermodels usually work for prominent fashion designers and clothin ...

. Because of her father's status, she has to have the protection of a

bodyguard A bodyguard (or close protection officer/operative) is a type of security guard, government law enforcement officer, or servicemember who protects an very important person, important person or group of people, such as high-ranking public offic ...

, Wahim, which isolates her from the other students until Mia sits with her after a fight with Lilly in the first novel.

Secondary characters

* Lars van der Hooten: Mia's very protective Swedish

. * Helen Thermopolis: Mia's mother. She has a career as an artist and spends most of her time in her studio. * Frank Gianini: Mia's algebra and homeroom teacher. He dates her mother, Helen, and marries her when she becomes pregnant with Mia's half-brother, Rocky. * John Paul "J.P." Reynolds Abernathy IV: Initially known as "The Guy Who Hates It When They Put Corn In the Chili", J.P. meets Mia via Grand-mère's school musical in ''Party Princess''. * Boris Pelkowski: A

Russian Russian(s) may refer to: *Russians (), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *A citizen of Russia *Russian language, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages *''The Russians'', a b ...

violin

virtuoso A virtuoso (from Italian ''virtuoso'', or ; Late Latin ''virtuosus''; Latin ''virtus''; 'virtue', 'excellence' or 'skill') is an individual who possesses outstanding talent and technical ability in a particular art or field such as fine arts, ...

, and Lilly's boyfriend. His habits include tucking his sweater into his pants, breathing through his mouth, and playing the violin in Gifted and Talented class, when everyone else wants him to be quiet. * Josh Richter: Lana Weinberger's boyfriend. He is on the crew team and is co-

valedictorian Valedictorian is an academic title for the class rank, highest-performing student of a graduation, graduating class of an academic institution in the United States. The valedictorian is generally determined by an academic institution's grade poin ...

. * Lana Weinberger: A popular junior cheerleader with long blonde hair, a peaches-and-cream complexion, baby blue eyes and a voluptuous figure

Volumes

*''

'', October 2000 *'' The Princess Diaries, Volume II: Princess in the Spotlight'', June 2001 - a.k.a. - Take Two *'' The Princess Diaries, Volume III: Princess in Love'', March 2002 - a.k.a. - Third Time Lucky *'' The Princess Diaries, Volume IV: Princess in Waiting'', April 2003 - a.k.a. - Mia goes Fourth **'' The Princess Diaries, Volume IV and 1/2: Project Princess'', August 2003 *'' The Princess Diaries, Volume V: Princess in Pink'', March 2004 - a.k.a. - Give me Five *'' The Princess Diaries, Volume VI: Princess in Training'', March 2005 - a.k.a. - Six Appeal or Sixsational **''The Princess Diaries, Volume VI and 1/2: The Princess Present'', October 2005 *'' The Princess Diaries, Volume VII: Party Princess'', March 2006 - a.k.a. - Seventh Heaven **'' The Princess Diaries, Volume VII and 1/2: Sweet Sixteen Princess'', May 2006 **'' The Princess Diaries, Volume VII and 3/4: Valentine Princess'', published December 2006, but chronologically fits here, being presented as an old journal Mia finds of her Freshman Valentine's Day two years after the fact. *''The Princess Diaries, Volume VIII: Princess on the Brink'', January 2007 - a.k.a. - After Eight *'' The Princess Diaries, Volume IX: Princess Mia'', December 26, 2007FAQS
Meg Cabot Website. - a.k.a. - To the Nines *'' The Princess Diaries, Volume X: Forever Princess'', January 2009 - a.k.a. - Ten out of Ten *'' The Princess Diaries, Volume XI: Royal Wedding'', June 2, 2015New For 2015 From Meg Cabot
Meg Cabot Blog *'' The Quarantine Princess Diaries'', March 7, 2023New Princess Diaries novel coming in March 2023
Meg Cabot Blog Illustrated by Chelsey McLaren: * ''Princess Lessons'', March 2003 * ''Perfect Princess'', March 2004 * ''Holiday Princess'', November 2005 Related book * ''Ransom My Heart'' by Princess of Genovia Mia Thermopolis, January 2009

Awards and nominations

* 2001 American Library Association Best Books for Young Adults * 2001 American Library Association Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers * 2001

New York Public Library The New York Public Library (NYPL) is a public library system in New York City. With nearly 53 million items and 92 locations, the New York Public Library is the second-largest public library in the United States behind the Library of Congress a ...

Book for the Teen Age * 2002

International Reading Association The International Literacy Association (ILA), formerly the International Reading Association (IRA), is an international global advocacy and member professional organization that was created in 1956 to improve reading instruction, facilitate dial ...

/ Children's Book Council Young Adults' Choice * 2002–2003 Volunteer State Book Award (

Tennessee Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...

) * 2003 Evergreen Young Adult Book Award (

Washington Washington most commonly refers to: * George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States * Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A ...

) * 2021 Time Magazine's 100 Best YA Books of All Time

Film series

The ''Princess Diaries'' film series consists of

comedy film The comedy film is a film genre that emphasizes humor. These films are designed to amuse audiences and make them laugh. Films in this genre typically have a happy ending, with dark comedy being an exception to this rule. Comedy is one of the o ...

s based on the book series of the same name by

. Starring

in the title role, with an ensemble supporting cast, the films follow Mia Thermopolis, a 15-year-old ordinary American teenager who discovers she is heir to the throne of the European kingdom, Genovia. In 2001 and 2004 respectively, two films based on the novels were produced by

Walt Disney Pictures Walt Disney Pictures is an American film Film production company, production company and subsidiary of Walt Disney Studios (division), the Walt Disney Studios, a division of Disney Entertainment, which is owned by the Walt Disney Company. The st ...

, ''

'' and '' The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement'' starring

and

Julie Andrews Dame Julie Andrews (born Julia Elizabeth Wells; 1 October 1935) is an English actress, singer, and author. She has garnered numerous accolades throughout her career spanning over eight decades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Fi ...

respectively as Mia Thermopolis and Clarisse Renaldi. Cabot has thanked the films many times in interviews and on her website because she believes that they helped boost her book sales, as well as making her the success that she is today.

Films

Reception

Box office performance

Critical and public response

Other adaptations

The first season of the

Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...

adult animated An adult is an animal that has reached full growth. The biological definition of the word means an animal reaching sexual maturity and thus capable of reproduction. In the human context, the term ''adult'' has meanings associated with social and ...

comedy Comedy is a genre of dramatic works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. Origins Comedy originated in ancient Greec ...

series ''

Q-Force ''Q-Force'' is an American adult animated comedy television series created by Gabe Liedman for Netflix. In April 2019, Netflix ordered 10 episodes of the series, with Liedman as a showrunner, along with Sean Hayes, Michael Schur, Todd Milline ...

'' features

Stephanie Beatriz Stephanie Beatriz Bischoff Alvizuri (born February 10, 1981) is an American actress. She is known for playing Detective Rosa Diaz in the Fox/ NBC comedy series ''Brooklyn Nine-Nine'' (2013–2021), Quiet in the Peacock action-comedy series '' ...

as Mira Popadopolous, based on Mia Thermopolis, whose backstory adapts the events of ''The Princess Diaries''.

References

* Cabot, Meg (2001)
''The Princess Diaries''
New York, New York.

HarperTrophy HarperCollins Publishers LLC is a British–American publishing company that is considered to be one of the " Big Five" English-language publishers, along with Penguin Random House, Hachette, Macmillan, and Simon & Schuster. HarperCollins is ...

. . * Cabot, Meg (2006)
''The Princess Diaries, Volume VII: Party Princess''
New York, New York.

HarperCollins HarperCollins Publishers LLC is a British–American publishing company that is considered to be one of the "Big Five (publishers), Big Five" English-language publishers, along with Penguin Random House, Hachette Book Group USA, Hachette, Macmi ...

. .

Footnotes

External links

Official site of Meg Cabot

Official site of Mia Thermopolis
{{DEFAULTSORT:Princess Diaries Book series introduced in 2000 American young adult novels Young adult novel series Fictional diaries HarperCollins books Vegetarianism in fiction