The Princess Diaries movies are based on the novels by Meg Cabot, and they made some significant changes to the source material. Following Mia, a high school student who discovers she’s the princess of Genovia, The Princess Diaries movies were some of the most iconic teen movies of the early 2000s. Of course, with Anne Hathaway and Julie Andrews leading the cast, it’s no surprise they became a pop culture phenomenon.
While the movies try to stay true to Cabot’s books, they do take some creative liberties. It’s not always possible for movie adaptations to be exact replicas of the novels they are based on. Filmmakers often have to cut things, whether it’s to save time or because they won’t translate well on-screen. With The Princess Diaries 3 confirmed, it will be interesting to see which parts of Cabot’s books are included in the next installment. As for the first two films, they feature plenty of book-to-screen changes.
12 Mia’s Dad Isn’t Dead
Mia And Her Father Are Close In The Books
In The Princess Diaries movies, Mia’s father, Prince Artur Gerard Christoff Phillipe Grimaldi Renaldo, dies when she’s 15. However, in Meg Cabot’s novels, he is alive after surviving testicular cancer. Mia and her father have a close relationship in the books, and he plays a significant role in her life. Prince Phillipe and Mia’s mother are not together in the novels, but they have an amicable co-parenting relationship. They do reconcile in the last Princess Diaries book.
If Prince Phillipe was alive in the movie, he and Clarisse would have had to share the spotlight.
While removing such a huge character from the novels is risky, there’s a good reason Disney cut Prince Philippe out. When Julie Andrews was cast to play Queen Clarisse in The Princess Diaries, the studio wanted her to have a bigger role due to her status as an actor. If Prince Phillipe was alive in the movie, he and Clarisse would have had to share the spotlight. So, instead of adding Prince Phillipe to the movie, Disney gave Julie Andrews his lines instead (via Just Jared Jr.).
11 Clarisse Is Different In The Books
Clarisse Is A Difficult Character To Like
In addition to giving her a bigger role, The Princess Diaries movies make other changes to Clarisse’s character. Cabot’s version of Clarisse isn’t an easy character to like. She’s overly critical of Mia and disapproves of everything she does. She also has tattooed eyeliner and drawn-on eyebrows. She loves to smoke, and she fancies drinking Sidecars. In the books, Clarisse also doesn’t like speaking English. She almost always speaks French and doesn’t like it when Mia speaks to her in English.
Andrews’ Clarisse gets rid of many of the character’s less likable traits, even if she doesn’t seem warm at first. Overall, she’s a much softer character than her book counterpart, treating her grandchild with more kindness and patience. This makes it easier to root for her in the film.
10 Nicholas Devereaux Isn’t In The Book
Nicholas Devereaux Is Played By Chris Pine In The Film
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After Mia arrives in Genovia in The Princess Diaries movie, she meets a handsome and charming man named Nicholas Devereaux. While Nicholas and Mia’s story is an interesting addition to the film, Nicholas isn’t actually in Cabot’s novels. He’s totally original to the movies, and Mia winds up with Michael in the books instead.
Given that Nicholas is one of the most compelling characters in The Princess Diaries, this book change isn’t one that’s gotten many complaints. It would be great if Chris Pine reprised his role in The Princess Diaries 3. An appearance from Pine would give the sequel even more star power, and it could reveal how his relationship with Mia is faring.
9 Mia And Lilly Have A Fallout In The Books
Mia And Lilly’s Friendship Is One Of The Best Parts Of The Movie
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Given Lilly’s dominant personality and Mia’s fear of confrontation, it’s a given these friends will eventually have some sort of disagreement. Although the movie shows Mia and Lilly having a fight, the seriousness of it isn’t accurately portrayed. The first fight Mia and Lily have occurs when Mia refuses to help Lilly with the protest she’s meant to film for her cable show. Lilly becomes furious and stops talking to her. However, the two do eventually make up.
She starts a website called IHateMiaThermopolis.com, where she records all of Mia’s embarrassing moments.
Lilly and Mia have a more serious fight in Cabot’s Princess Diaries novels. In the source material, Lilly is dating J.P., but he breaks up with her because he’s in love with Mia. When J.P. and Mia start dating, Lilly makes it her mission to ruin Mia’s life. She starts a website called IHateMiaThermopolis.com, where she records all of Mia’s embarrassing moments. Fortunately, Mia and Lilly make up once again. However, the movies don’t show this portion of Lilly and Mia’s friendship.
8 Mia Has Other Friends Apart From Lilly
Mia Has A Diverse Friend Group In The Source Material
Mia and Lilly’s friendship is one of the best parts of The Princess Diaries movies. However, Mia doesn’t seem to have truly close friends outside of Lilly in the movies. This is likely because a movie’s runtime limits how many characters it can truly flesh out. In Cabot’s books, Mia has other friends aside from Lilly at Albert Einstein High School.
Mia’s friend group in the source material consists of Shameeka Taylor, Ling-Su, Boris Pelkowski, and J.P. Reynolds-Abernathy. And following her fight with Lilly, Mia becomes friends with another outsider, Tina Hakim-Baba. The two often have lunch together, and Tina, who is obsessed with teen romance novels, tells Mia about what she’s reading. This makes Mia’s high school life feel more fleshed out and interesting.
7 Michael’s Role Is Different In The Source Material
Mia And Michael Get Married In The Books
Mia’s love life is probably the biggest change the movies make to The Princess Diaries books. Following her first break-up with Michael in the novel, Mia starts dating J.P., Lilly’s ex. Mia breaks up with J.P. after discovering he is an unsuitable romantic partner and eventually gets back together with Michael. Michael is also in a band in the books, but that doesn’t carry over into the movies.
In the movie, Mia and Michael also do not get back together after they break up. Instead, Mia spends much of the series interested in Pine’s Nicholas. They’re still together when The Princess Diaries 2 comes to a close, but they aren’t married yet. Perhaps The Princess Diaries 3 will see Mia finally tying the knot.
6 Mia And Lana Become Friends In The Books
Lana Doesn’t Apologize To Mia In The Movies
Lana spends most of her high school career tormenting Mia, so it’s surprising that they actually ended up becoming friends in Cabot’s books. Funnily enough, it’s Mia’s fallout with Lilly that brings her and Lana together. After years of bullying her, Lana admits she was jealous of Mia and apologizes for how she treated her. The two form a friendship that lasts until the end of The Princess Diaries series. Lana is supportive of Mia and her mean girl streak doesn’t surface again.
This never happens in the movies, with Lana and Mia remaining enemies for the duration of the series. It’s possible The Princess Diaries 3 will change this, assuming Lana makes an appearance in the upcoming sequel. This would be a way to be faithful to the books in the upcoming film.
5 The Book Is Set In New York
The Movie Is Set In San Francisco
Another big change the movie makes to The Princess Diaries is the setting. In the film, Mia and her mom live in San Francisco. In the novel, however, they reside in a loft in Greenwich Village in New York. The producers initially intended to set the movie in New York, and its intended title was reportedly The Princess of Tribeca (via Grazia Daily). Ultimately, they decided against this route.
Although the setting in the movie is different, San Francisco works better for how Mia’s story plays out in the movie. It provides the perfect backdrop for her princess origin story, boasting an elegant but modern atmosphere. It’s fitting for a princess who’s accustomed to an ordinary life.
4 Mia’s Story Isn’t Told Through Her Diaries
Mia Doesn’t Have A Diary At The Beginning Of The Princess Diaries
Although the movie and book are titled The Princess Diaries, the movie doesn’t tell Mia’s story through her diary. This change in narration is odd, especially considering the movie is called The Princess Diaries. In Cabot’s version of the narrative, Mia does recount her story using her diary.
This is especially important because the diary is a gift from her mother, who gives it to her so she can have an outlet for her emotions. In The Princess Diaries movie, Mia only gets a diary at the end of the film. Its origin is different, too, as the diary is a 16th birthday present that her dad leaves for her.
3 Mia Doesn’t Become Queen
Prince Philipe Abdicates The Throne In The Novel
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After Mia finds out she’s the heir to Genovia in the movies, she starts preparing for her ascension to the throne. Eventually, the time comes for her to take over from her grandmother, but the Genovian leaders won’t allow her to unless she is married. Fortunately, Mia convinces them that she can be queen even if she isn’t married. At the end of The Princess Diaries 2, Mia is crowned queen and thus begins her reign.
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The story doesn’t play out in the same way in the novel. In Cabot’s iteration, Prince Phillipe abdicates the throne to be with Mia’s mother. Mia has to fight to convince the Genovians that she has what it takes to be the queen. Although she succeeds, she doesn’t immediately become the queen of Genovia.
2 Mia Used To Visit Genovia
Mia Spent Every Summer In Genovia
When Mia finds out she’s the princess of Genovia in The Princess Diaries movies, she has never been to Genovia. In fact, she only visits the tiny European country after being officially named its heir. In the novels, Mia actually spent almost every summer since she was a child in Genovia with her father and grandma. She and her grandma would go shopping at the end of every holiday in the small European country.
Mia doesn’t have the same familiarity with Genovia or her grandmother in the adaptation, which makes it even stranger that her path to being crowned is so much easier in the films. Of course, the big reveal comes off as more surprising because Mia doesn’t know these details about her background. It ramps up the movie’s drama, but it’s still a major divergence from the books.
1 Mia Has A Bodyguard
Lars Van Der Hooten Is Mia’s Bodyguard
In The Princess Diaries movies, Joe, Clarisse’s head of security, is Mia’s driver. However, Joe doesn’t play that role in Cabot’s books. Lars van der Hooten, who is Mia’s dad’s bodyguard, plays the role that Joe does in the movie. Initially, Lars only drives Mia and Lilly to school — but that changes when the press begins to hound Mia after they discover she’s a princess.
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In the novels, the bodyguard accompanies Mia around and has a fun dynamic with Wahim, Tina’s bodyguard. Lars is extremely protective of Mia and keeps her secrets. While it’s a shame that Lars isn’t part of the movie, his absence means that viewers get to see Joe and Clarisse’s romance unravel in The Princess Diaries movies.
Sources: Just Jared Jr., Grazia Daily
The Princess Diaries
The Princess Diaries is a romantic comedy franchise that originated from Meg Cabot’s popular book series. It follows the story of Mia Thermopolis, an awkward teenage girl who discovers she is the heir to the throne of the fictional European kingdom of Genovia. The films focus on Mia’s journey as she learns to embrace her royal heritage while navigating the challenges of adolescence and royal duties. The franchise is beloved for its charming blend of humor, romance, and the classic “rags-to-riches” transformation, with Anne Hathaway’s portrayal of Mia Thermopolis becoming iconic.
Created by Meg Cabot Cast Anne Hathaway , Julie Andrews , Hector Elizondo , Heather Matarazzo , Mandy Moore , Caroline Goodall , Robert Schwartzman , Chris Pine First Film The Princess Diaries Latest Film The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement Upcoming Films The Princess Diaries 3 Character(s) Mia Thermopolis , Queen Clarisse Renaldi , Joe (The Princess Diaries) , Lilly Moscovitz , Michael Moscovitz , Nicholas Devereaux , Paolo Puttanesca , Lana Thomas
Summary
The Princess Diaries is a romantic comedy franchise that originated from Meg Cabot’s popular book series. It follows the story of Mia Thermopolis, an awkward teenage girl who discovers she is the heir to the throne of the fictional European kingdom of Genovia. The films focus on Mia’s journey as she learns to embrace her royal heritage while navigating the challenges of adolescence and royal duties. The franchise is beloved for its charming blend of humor, romance, and the classic “rags-to-riches” transformation, with Anne Hathaway’s portrayal of Mia Thermopolis becoming iconic.
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