How to Be Royalty with The Princess Diaries

It's the early 2000s, and we're in San Francisco, California.

No, wait, that's our protagonist, Mia Thermopolis.

Princess Diaries tells the story of ordinary teen Mia turned Princess of Genovia.

and all the hilarity and heartfelt moments that ensue as Mia navigates the world as she knows it, as well as the world of royalty as she trains to be heir apparent of Genovia.

Mia wants to just make it through high school as she's made it through her life so far, invisibly.

We meet Mia on what begins as a regular school day for her and her best friend Lily, and immediately we see that Mia, while she is self-deprecating and calling herself invisible, is actually correct.

Even to her loved ones like her mom and bestie Lily, Mia is unremarkable, and she doesn't have a lot going on in her life in terms of her own ambitions or personal changes or choices, like goals for the future.

But Mia clearly has things she wants.

She imagines herself kissing her crush Josh, and she has hobbies like rock climbing.

She just initially lacks the confidence to make the things she wants come to fruition.

However, soon after meeting her paternal grandmother Clarice for the first time, Mia learns a shocking truth that her mother and grandmother have been hiding from her her whole life.

She is a princess and heir to the throne in the country of Genovia, where Clarice is queen.

Mia's mom, Helen, makes a promise on her behalf.

Mia will take princess lessons with Clarice and will not decide whether she accepts her role as Princess of Genovia until the Genovian Independence Day Ball.

As Mia learns all the ins and outs of being royal, she is supervised and chauffeured by Genovian security agent Joseph.

And while at first she hides her princess status from everyone, even Lily and Lily's brother Michael, once the secret gets out, there's no denying it.

And Mia has to accept the reality even more seriously.

Even as the pressure of the public spotlight puts Mia through difficult decisions and embarrassing moments, Mia comes into her own with a sense of confidence and grace that is new to her.

Mia also continues being a regular teenager.

From crushes to fights with your best friend to being honest with your family and just making mistakes, Mia has to navigate her teen years with the added pressure of her decision of her potential impending royal status.

As crushed Josh uses Mia for her fame and Mia makes mistakes and hurts her friends in the process, she learns that being a princess isn't just pleasantries and manners and doing things for appearances.

She comes to understand that being royal is also moving through the world with the understanding that one of the most important things you can do is use your voice for good and stay true to your word.

Mia accepts her royal status as Princess of Genovia as the story ends with the Genovian Independence Day Ball, and her family, friends, and Genovians celebrating her decision and Mia in her newfound confidence.

Whether you were a teen with the rest of your life on the horizon in the early 2000s, or an impressionable young kid impacted by seeing Mia step into her confidence, let's have a millennial blast from the past.

and we'll see why a princess-in-training isn't so different from a neurodivergent person who is still learning who they are and what they want out of life.