It’s hard to believe, but 2021 will mark the 20th anniversary of The Princess Diaries! Based on Meg Cabot’s novel of the same name, the now-iconic comedy follows Mia Thermopolis as she discovers that she’s not just a geeky, artsy teenage girl in San Francisco – she’s the heir to the throne of Genovia. The movie is responsible for introducing the world to Anne Hathaway (and Sandra Oh!) and making Julie Andrews an icon for a whole new generation of fans. To celebrate its upcoming major anniversary – and our hopes that a third movie does happen someday – we’re picking out some of our favorite movies that pair perfectly with The Princess Diaries. Keep reading to see which movies would make a royally perfect double feature.
To All the Boys I've Loved Before
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before might not have a ton of plot similarities to The Princess Diaries, but its tone as a sweet but snarky teen comedy makes it a great fit for a new generation of fans looking for depictions of teenagers as interesting, messy, and funny people. Just as Mia struggles with newfound attention and having a crush on the wrong guy, so does Lara Jean as she adjusts to being in a fake relationship and developing real and conflicting feelings.
The Princess Switch
The Princess Switch has a slightly different take on the “surprise royalty” trope of The Princess Diaries. This time, the learn-to-be-royal storyline happens when two women – one a Chicago baker, the other a foreign duchess – switch places over the holidays, learning more about each other’s lives and slowly falling in love with the men in each other’s lives.
The Prince & Me
Like The Princess Diaries, The Prince & Me is all about that royalty-meets-reality conflict. Playboy Prince Edvard enrolls incognito at an American college to escape his royal responsibilities, where he meets Paige, an ambitious premed student. Their initial dislike of each other turns into a romantic connection, but things get messy when the press finds out who Eddie really is.
What a Girl Wants
What a Girl Wants has a surprisingly similar premise to The Princess Diaries: a girl finds out that her absent father is (or was) actually titled and powerful. Here, Daphne travels to London to track down her father, only to find out that he’s actually an aristocrat with ambitions to be prime minister someday, and she tries to bond with him while also unraveling the lies their whole family were told.
Anastasia
A princess who didn’t know she was a princess? Check. A stern but lovable grandmother? Check. The boy who saw her when she was “invisible”? Check! The beloved animated musical, based on the legend of Princess Anastasia of Russia, has everything fans of The Princess Diaries could possibly ask for, sparkly gowns and all!
Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen
For more of the awkward-aughts-high-school vibes of The Princess Diaries, this underrated Lindsay Lohan gem hits just the right notes. Aspiring Broadway star Lola has a tough start when her family move to suburban New Jersey, and she and her new best friend get into several misadventures that nevertheless end happily.
Ever After
Both of the main characters in Ever After will remind you more than a little bit of Princess Mia. Danielle has Mia’s headstrong, stubborn, and independent streak, while Henry is a royal heir who struggles with the pressures of the throne and just wants to make up his own mind. It all comes together in a funny, romantic story that puts a new spin on the Cinderella story.
10 Things I Hate About You
10 Things I Hate About You is up there with The Princess Diaries among the must-watch teen comedies. Think of Kat as a more likable version of Mia’s BFF Lily: a hyperintelligent, sharp-tongued teenage girl with no patience for dumb high school antics.
The Lizzie McGuire Movie
A teenage girl finds herself at the center of a media storm, complete with the attention of a popular boy with a hidden agenda: it’s the plot of both The Princess Diaries and The Lizzie McGuire Movie! When Lizzie goes on a class trip to Rome, she’s mistaken for a teenage Italian pop star and gets caught up in “filling in” for the superstar with the help of a charming Italian singer with a secret.
13 Going on 30
In The Princess Diaries, Mia has to slowly realize that the popular clique isn’t so great after all and that her sweetly geeky friend is the person she’s been looking for all along. 13 Going on 30‘s Jenna goes through a similar arc, waking up from a wish on her 13th birthday to find herself a 30-year-old professional success who’s best friends with the middle school mean girl and hasn’t talked to her former best friend Matt in years.
