The Princess Diaries
Encyclopedia
The Princess Diaries is a series of epistolary
novels by Meg Cabot
in the chick-lit and young-adult fiction genre, and the title of the first volume
, published in 2000.
Meg Cabot quotes the series' inspiration on her website as: "I was inspired to write The Princess Diaries when my mom, after the death of my father, began dating one of my teachers, 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 little, 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 books are noted for containing many popular culture references, which include singers, movies, and fads in modern culture. Many critics have taken unkindly to this form of storytelling. In response, Cabot wrote an English teacher into the book, Princess in Training, who criticizes Mia's writing, telling her that it relies too much on "slick pop culture references".
The series ended with its tenth book, when Mia turned 18. However, Meg Cabot has also said that she may 'drop in' on her [Mia] from time to time in the future.
The story of Mia Thermopolis's adolescent turmoil as an average teenager, and a princess of royal descent and chronicled in her ongoing journal, where she explores topics of teenage angst, love and betrayal through a very opinionated eye.
Prefers to go by the name Mia Thermopolis.
Mia Thermopolis is a budding author and writes and publishes her own novel called Ransom My Heart
, an historical romance set in England in the year 1291, in the final book of the series, Forever Princess.
She is the slightly obsessive and overprotective sister of Rocky Thermopolis-Gianini, causing her best friend Lilly Moscovitz to refer to her as a BL (Baby Licker), POG ( Princess Of Genovia), or PIT (Princess In Training). Mia seems to hate all of these nicknames, but doesn't object to them. Although being a generally kind person, Mia is portrayed as somewhat naive, as well as having a tendency to overanalyze things and worry too much.
She has been in love with Michael Moscovitz, Lilly's older brother, since she was in 1st grade and he was in 3rd, when he brought a school project of Lilly's to their classroom. Mia admits her feelings to Michael in Princess in Love and to her delight, he reciprocates. However, because of their age difference, their relationship becomes a bit strained.
In book eight, Princess on the Brink, Mia finds out Micheal is moving to Japan to develop his prototype for a robot arm that would allow doctors to perform open heart surgery, an invention he later reveals was spurred by his desire to prove he was "worthy of dating a princess". In an attempt to keep him in the city, Mia proposes sex but is upset to find out that Michael already lost his virginity to Judith Gershner, a former classmate. Angry and heartbroken, Mia flings back the snowflake necklace that Michael gave her in Princess In Pink, signifying that their relationship is over. However, Mia quickly regrets the decision.
Also in book eight, Lilly is dumped by her boyfriend J.P., who quickly makes a play for Mia. Mia accidentally kisses J.P., which was witnessed by Michael who later related the story to Lilly. As a result, Lilly refused to speak Mia and they stopped being friends despite Mia's repeated attempts to get back in Lilly's good graces. The two finally make up in Forever Princess.
In the ninth book, Princess Mia, Mia confides in her psychologist, Dr. Knutz, about her feelings of inferiority to Michael, whom she expected to dump her for someone better and admits that she overreacted about Judith in order to dump Michael first. She attempts to salvage her romantic relationship with Michael; he refuses, but they become friends again. Michael is hinted to have been abstinent during his tenure in Japan and later returns to New York as a multi-millionaire in Forever Princess.
Despite the fact that she has a boyfriend, Mia remains in love with Michael and toward the end of the final book, Forever Princess, Michael kisses Mia and tells her that he never stopped loving her. Mia breaks up with J.P., who was only using her to get attention from the media to further his playwriting career. Michael and Mia finally reunite and it is hinted that he becomes her royal consort
in the future.
princess of Genovia and Mia's paternal grandmother. Mia refers to her as "Grandmère" (French for "Grandmother"). As a young woman, she married Prince Rupert Renaldo and had two sons, although her elder son chose to do his life's bidding under the Church. Although, her second son, Philippe, was willing to be the heir to the throne. She habitually omits Mia's mother's surname "Thermopolis" from her granddaughter's lengthy list of names and titles, much to Mia's annoyance. She speaks French most of the time, though she can speak English. 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. She is not hesitant about lying or manipulating others in order to get her own way.
She and Mia don't see eye to eye: Clarisse is concerned with attracting publicity to Genovia and ensuring Mia does not embarrass her country while Mia prefers to focus on politics. Though she and Mia butt heads often, she does care for her granddaughter and gives her advice about love and relationships that Mia takes with a grain of salt due to her grandmother's cold nature. For example, when Clarisse was married to the king of Genovia, she led him to believe that she was only interested in his status and money and never once said "I love you", in order to keep her husband on his toes. Mia also mentions that her father is terrified of his mother because she would lock him in the palace dungeon
s whenever he misbehaved.
While in New York to give Mia her princess lessons, the dowager princess resided in the Plaza Hotel and was dissatisfied with other quality luxury hotels she was placed in during Princess On the Brink, when the Plaza was being remodeled.
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.
Mia admires Lilly's bravery and unwillingness to be pushed around by others though Lilly knows her insensitivity and forceful personality can cause her to be disliked. Mia and Lilly often enjoy discussing popular culture but Lilly's strong stances, however, cause her and Mia to clash, especially when Mia feels Lilly is becoming too critical of her. Yet, Lilly's blunt attitude is what often keeps Mia from over-analyzing things, such as her relationship with Michael, Lilly's older brother. Mia was initially afraid to share her crush on Michael with Lilly but in fact, Lilly was one of the conspirators who helped Mia and Michael get together in Princess in Love.
Lilly is not considered to be very pretty; Mia often describes her face as being "squashed in like a pug's". However, Lilly does have a well-developed figure which earns her several romantic suitors including Boris Pelkowski, Mia's cousin Hank, Jangbu, J.P. Reynolds, and Kenny Showalter.
Boris Pelkowski was Lilly's first boyfriend but the relationship ended when she cheated on him in Princess in Pink with an immigrant busboy Jangbu. In Party Princess, Lilly hooks up with J.P. Reynolds but in Princess On the Brink, Lilly is dumped by him because he never loved her. Lilly becomes angry at Mia when she finds out that Mia kissed J.P. and refuses to speak to her any more, even starting ihatemiathermopolis.com. Lilly is cold to Mia's attempts to make up but when she finds out that Mia is planning to lose her virginity to J.P., Lilly interferes and tells her that she and J.P. had sex (J.P. had lied about being a virgin to Mia) and his plans to use Mia's fame to his own advantage. The girls make up soon after that.
Mia states that she's been in love with Michael Moscovitz since the day he came over to give Lilly a school project when they were in the first grade and he was in the third. From the end of the first book to the third, Mia has an unrequited crush on Michael, feelings which he finally returns in Princess in Love. Their relationship continues through Mia's sophomore year and Michael's first years at Columbia University
but their relationship becomes slightly strained when Michael tells Mia he would like to have sex while Mia would prefer to wait until her prom night. Michael respects Mia's wishes but when Michael gets an offer to move to Japan, he believe it would be easier for their relationship as he is "tired of taking cold showers". Mia proposes sex in order to keep him from leaving but is upset to find out that he slept with Judith Gershner and the two break up. Michael believes Mia is overreacting and attempts to reconcile with her before leaving for Japan but is hurt to find her sharing a kiss with J.P.. Mia attempts to get back together and work it out long distance but Michael refuses, though he agrees to be friends. However, when Michael returns from Japan after being gone for almost two years, he flirts with Mia during her interview for the school paper. The two eventually kiss, despite Mia's having a boyfriend, and Michael declares that he still loves Mia and will wait for her. The two get back together on Mia's prom night and they finally have sex together.
Michael is extremely smart and handsome with a muscular figure, despite staying cooped up writing songs or on his computer the whole day. Though he often clashes with his younger sister, Michael and Lilly are in fact close siblings and friends. He used to have his own online magazine called Crackhead but had to disband it after an editorial that stated the merits of Linux
over Windows, which caused a loss in advertisers and funds. Shortly after this, Michael decided to start a band called Skinner Box with a few friends, including Boris Pelkowski.
Mia insists that he's the third best-looking guy at AEHS and loves to smell his neck. Michael loves Mia just as she is, though her neurotic behavior and insecurity can be frustrating. In fact, Michael is the one who often feels insecure in their relationship because he knows Clarisse Marie Renaldi does not think he is an appropriate consort and all the gossip magazines would much rather prefer to see Mia date a fellow royal or celebrity. Due to this, Michael believes moving to Japan and developing his robotic arm would finally prove to the world that he is, in fact, worthy of dating a princess. Michael returns to New York a multi-millionaire and the president/owner of his own robotics company named after his dog, Pavlov.
Illustrated by Chelsey McLaren:
instead of Cabot. She said, "Don't worry. The copies of Princess Diaries 7 with Georgia Byng's picture on the back are being pulled from shops, and swapped for copies of the book with the correct author's photo (mine) on the back."
In December 2006, Cabot announced that a mistake had been made in the front cover summary of Valentine Princess. Since the book chronicles Mia glancing at her old diaries, the characters Boris and Tina were not dating, rather Boris and Lilly. However, on the book flap it says Boris and Tina are a couple. Cabot has announced that this will be fixed by the publishing company. Tina was dating Dave Farouq El-Abar at the time of books one and two.
In the 10th book (Forever Princess) Mia is writing a novel for her senior project, though she keeps it a secret from everyone but Michael, until the end of the book. At the end however she reveals this to Tina and J.P. Tina reads it instantly and thinks it is about Mia and Michael; J.P. doesn't read it and this upsets Mia, which is part of the reason they break up. At the end of the book, Mia receives an offer to get it published.( When Mia shares this news with Michael, they celebrate and this leads to a kiss, which proves that they are still in love.) Meg Cabot published "Mia's" book Ransom My Heart that can be bought in bookstores under the author name Princess of Genovia Mia Thermopolis.
as The Princess Diaries
and The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement
starring Anne Hathaway
and Julie Andrews
. Cabot has thanked the movies 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.
In May 2006, The Harvard Crimson
released reports that 19-year-old author Kaavya Viswanathan
borrowed passages from Cabot's Princess Diaries series, and other books, to place in her novel How Opal Mehta Got Kissed, Got Wild, and Got a Life. Viswanathan's novels were subsequently pulled from the shelves.
Epistolary novel
An epistolary novel is a novel written as a series of documents. The usual form is letters, although diary entries, newspaper clippings and other documents are sometimes used. Recently, electronic "documents" such as recordings and radio, blogs, and e-mails have also come into use...
novels by Meg Cabot
Meg Cabot
Meg Cabot is anAmerican author of romantic and paranormal fiction for teens and adults and used to write under several pen names, but now writes exclusively under her real name, Meg Cabot...
in the chick-lit and young-adult fiction genre, and the title of the first volume
The Princess Diaries (novel)
The Princess Diaries is the first volume of the critically acclaimed, best-selling series of the same name by Meg Cabot. It was released in 2000 by Harper Collins Publishers, and later became a film of the same name starring Anne Hathaway.-Summary:...
, published in 2000.
Meg Cabot quotes the series' inspiration on her website as: "I was inspired to write The Princess Diaries when my mom, after the death of my father, began dating one of my teachers, 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 little, 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 books are noted for containing many popular culture references, which include singers, movies, and fads in modern culture. Many critics have taken unkindly to this form of storytelling. In response, Cabot wrote an English teacher into the book, Princess in Training, who criticizes Mia's writing, telling her that it relies too much on "slick pop culture references".
The series ended with its tenth book, when Mia turned 18. However, Meg Cabot has also said that she may 'drop in' on her [Mia] from time to time in the future.
Series description
- Plot Summaries have been moved to their individual volume pages.
The story of Mia Thermopolis's adolescent turmoil as an average teenager, and a princess of royal descent and chronicled in her ongoing journal, where she explores topics of teenage angst, love and betrayal through a very opinionated eye.
Mia Thermopolis (Amelia Mignonette Grimaldi Thermopolis Renaldo)
Main Article: Mia ThermopolisMia Thermopolis
Amelia Mignonette Grimaldi Thermopolis Renaldo, Crown Princess of Genovia , commonly known as Mia Thermopolis, is a fictional character and the protagonist of The Princess Diaries novels by Meg Cabot...
Prefers to go by the name Mia Thermopolis.
Mia Thermopolis is a budding author and writes and publishes her own novel called Ransom My Heart
Ransom My Heart
Ransom My Heart is a romance-novel by Mia Thermopolis with help from Meg Cabot. It was released in the US on January 6, 2009, concurrently with the novel Forever Princess. The book is, according to the Princess Diaries series, written by Mia Thermopolis as her Senior project...
, an historical romance set in England in the year 1291, in the final book of the series, Forever Princess.
She is the slightly obsessive and overprotective sister of Rocky Thermopolis-Gianini, causing her best friend Lilly Moscovitz to refer to her as a BL (Baby Licker), POG ( Princess Of Genovia), or PIT (Princess In Training). Mia seems to hate all of these nicknames, but doesn't object to them. Although being a generally kind person, Mia is portrayed as somewhat naive, as well as having a tendency to overanalyze things and worry too much.
She has been in love with Michael Moscovitz, Lilly's older brother, since she was in 1st grade and he was in 3rd, when he brought a school project of Lilly's to their classroom. Mia admits her feelings to Michael in Princess in Love and to her delight, he reciprocates. However, because of their age difference, their relationship becomes a bit strained.
In book eight, Princess on the Brink, Mia finds out Micheal is moving to Japan to develop his prototype for a robot arm that would allow doctors to perform open heart surgery, an invention he later reveals was spurred by his desire to prove he was "worthy of dating a princess". In an attempt to keep him in the city, Mia proposes sex but is upset to find out that Michael already lost his virginity to Judith Gershner, a former classmate. Angry and heartbroken, Mia flings back the snowflake necklace that Michael gave her in Princess In Pink, signifying that their relationship is over. However, Mia quickly regrets the decision.
Also in book eight, Lilly is dumped by her boyfriend J.P., who quickly makes a play for Mia. Mia accidentally kisses J.P., which was witnessed by Michael who later related the story to Lilly. As a result, Lilly refused to speak Mia and they stopped being friends despite Mia's repeated attempts to get back in Lilly's good graces. The two finally make up in Forever Princess.
In the ninth book, Princess Mia, Mia confides in her psychologist, Dr. Knutz, about her feelings of inferiority to Michael, whom she expected to dump her for someone better and admits that she overreacted about Judith in order to dump Michael first. She attempts to salvage her romantic relationship with Michael; he refuses, but they become friends again. Michael is hinted to have been abstinent during his tenure in Japan and later returns to New York as a multi-millionaire in Forever Princess.
Despite the fact that she has a boyfriend, Mia remains in love with Michael and toward the end of the final book, Forever Princess, Michael kisses Mia and tells her that he never stopped loving her. Mia breaks up with J.P., who was only using her to get attention from the media to further his playwriting career. Michael and Mia finally reunite and it is hinted that he becomes her royal consort
Consort
Consort may refer to:Titles:* Queen consort, wife of a reigning king* Prince consort, husband of a reigning queen* King consort, rarely used alternative title for husband of a reigning queen...
in the future.
Clarisse Marie Grimaldi Renaldo
Clarisse is the dowagerDowager
A dowager is a widow who holds a title or property, or dower, derived from her deceased husband. As an adjective, "Dowager" usually appears in association with monarchical and aristocratic titles....
princess of Genovia and Mia's paternal grandmother. Mia refers to her as "Grandmère" (French for "Grandmother"). As a young woman, she married Prince Rupert Renaldo and had two sons, although her elder son chose to do his life's bidding under the Church. Although, her second son, Philippe, was willing to be the heir to the throne. She habitually omits Mia's mother's surname "Thermopolis" from her granddaughter's lengthy list of names and titles, much to Mia's annoyance. She speaks French most of the time, though she can speak English. 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. She is not hesitant about lying or manipulating others in order to get her own way.
She and Mia don't see eye to eye: Clarisse is concerned with attracting publicity to Genovia and ensuring Mia does not embarrass her country while Mia prefers to focus on politics. Though she and Mia butt heads often, she does care for her granddaughter and gives her advice about love and relationships that Mia takes with a grain of salt due to her grandmother's cold nature. For example, when Clarisse was married to the king of Genovia, she led him to believe that she was only interested in his status and money and never once said "I love you", in order to keep her husband on his toes. Mia also mentions that her father is terrified of his mother because she would lock him in the palace dungeon
Dungeon
A dungeon is a room or cell in which prisoners are held, especially underground. Dungeons are generally associated with medieval castles, though their association with torture probably belongs more to the Renaissance period...
s whenever he misbehaved.
While in New York to give Mia her princess lessons, the dowager princess resided in the Plaza Hotel and was dissatisfied with other quality luxury hotels she was placed in during Princess On the Brink, when the Plaza was being remodeled.
Lilly Moscovitz
Mia's best friend since kindergarten, Lilly is a highly intelligent and opinionated person who has her own public-access televisionPublic-access television
Public-access television is a form of non-commercial mass media where ordinary people can create content television programming which is cablecast through cable TV specialty channels...
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.
Mia admires Lilly's bravery and unwillingness to be pushed around by others though Lilly knows her insensitivity and forceful personality can cause her to be disliked. Mia and Lilly often enjoy discussing popular culture but Lilly's strong stances, however, cause her and Mia to clash, especially when Mia feels Lilly is becoming too critical of her. Yet, Lilly's blunt attitude is what often keeps Mia from over-analyzing things, such as her relationship with Michael, Lilly's older brother. Mia was initially afraid to share her crush on Michael with Lilly but in fact, Lilly was one of the conspirators who helped Mia and Michael get together in Princess in Love.
Lilly is not considered to be very pretty; Mia often describes her face as being "squashed in like a pug's". However, Lilly does have a well-developed figure which earns her several romantic suitors including Boris Pelkowski, Mia's cousin Hank, Jangbu, J.P. Reynolds, and Kenny Showalter.
Boris Pelkowski was Lilly's first boyfriend but the relationship ended when she cheated on him in Princess in Pink with an immigrant busboy Jangbu. In Party Princess, Lilly hooks up with J.P. Reynolds but in Princess On the Brink, Lilly is dumped by him because he never loved her. Lilly becomes angry at Mia when she finds out that Mia kissed J.P. and refuses to speak to her any more, even starting ihatemiathermopolis.com. Lilly is cold to Mia's attempts to make up but when she finds out that Mia is planning to lose her virginity to J.P., Lilly interferes and tells her that she and J.P. had sex (J.P. had lied about being a virgin to Mia) and his plans to use Mia's fame to his own advantage. The girls make up soon after that.
Michael Moscovitz
Mia's main love interest throughout the series.Mia states that she's been in love with Michael Moscovitz since the day he came over to give Lilly a school project when they were in the first grade and he was in the third. From the end of the first book to the third, Mia has an unrequited crush on Michael, feelings which he finally returns in Princess in Love. Their relationship continues through Mia's sophomore year and Michael's first years at Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
but their relationship becomes slightly strained when Michael tells Mia he would like to have sex while Mia would prefer to wait until her prom night. Michael respects Mia's wishes but when Michael gets an offer to move to Japan, he believe it would be easier for their relationship as he is "tired of taking cold showers". Mia proposes sex in order to keep him from leaving but is upset to find out that he slept with Judith Gershner and the two break up. Michael believes Mia is overreacting and attempts to reconcile with her before leaving for Japan but is hurt to find her sharing a kiss with J.P.. Mia attempts to get back together and work it out long distance but Michael refuses, though he agrees to be friends. However, when Michael returns from Japan after being gone for almost two years, he flirts with Mia during her interview for the school paper. The two eventually kiss, despite Mia's having a boyfriend, and Michael declares that he still loves Mia and will wait for her. The two get back together on Mia's prom night and they finally have sex together.
Michael is extremely smart and handsome with a muscular figure, despite staying cooped up writing songs or on his computer the whole day. Though he often clashes with his younger sister, Michael and Lilly are in fact close siblings and friends. He used to have his own online magazine called Crackhead but had to disband it after an editorial that stated the merits of Linux
Linux
Linux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...
over Windows, which caused a loss in advertisers and funds. Shortly after this, Michael decided to start a band called Skinner Box with a few friends, including Boris Pelkowski.
Mia insists that he's the third best-looking guy at AEHS and loves to smell his neck. Michael loves Mia just as she is, though her neurotic behavior and insecurity can be frustrating. In fact, Michael is the one who often feels insecure in their relationship because he knows Clarisse Marie Renaldi does not think he is an appropriate consort and all the gossip magazines would much rather prefer to see Mia date a fellow royal or celebrity. Due to this, Michael believes moving to Japan and developing his robotic arm would finally prove to the world that he is, in fact, worthy of dating a princess. Michael returns to New York a multi-millionaire and the president/owner of his own robotics company named after his dog, Pavlov.
Secondary characters
- Lars van der Hooten: Mia's very protective bodyguardBodyguardA bodyguard is a type of security operative or government agent who protects a person—usually a famous, wealthy, or politically important figure—from assault, kidnapping, assassination, stalking, loss of confidential information, terrorist attack or other threats.Most important public figures such...
. He voices his mind in a way it is anoying when Mia is being particularly ridiculous, but goes along with her schemes anyway. He also turns a blind eye to Mia and Michael when they make out, for which Mia is grateful. He gets on very well with Michael (especially in the first book when Lars seems to know that Michael likes Mia), although he never offers any opinion on Lilly, and becomes friends with Tina's bodyguard, Wahim. Lars also likes Mia's French teacher Mademoiselle Klein. He is known to be a 'big softie', despite his peepy.
- Tina Hakim Baba: A current student at Albert EinsteinEinstein (disambiguation)Albert Einstein was a famous German-Jewish theoretical physicist.Einstein may also refer to:* Einstein , other people with this nameIn science and technology:* Einstein , a large lunar crater...
, Tina is the daughter of a Saudi Arabian oil sheikSheikhNot to be confused with sikhSheikh — also spelled Sheik or Shaikh, or transliterated as Shaykh — is an honorific in the Arabic language that literally means "elder" and carries the meaning "leader and/or governor"...
and a BritishGreat BritainGreat Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
former supermodelSupermodelThe term supermodel refers to a highly-paid fashion model who usually has a worldwide reputation and often a background in haute couture and commercial modeling. The term became prominent in the popular culture of the 1980s. Supermodels usually work for top fashion designers and labels...
. She is referred to as a freak by the other students. Because of her father's status, she has to have the protection of a bodyguardBodyguardA bodyguard is a type of security operative or government agent who protects a person—usually a famous, wealthy, or politically important figure—from assault, kidnapping, assassination, stalking, loss of confidential information, terrorist attack or other threats.Most important public figures such...
, Wahim, who isolates her from the other students until Mia sits with her after a fight with Lilly in the first novel. All three girls quickly develop a solid friendship, and Tina eventually uses her generous weekly allowance to support Lilly's Public-access televisionPublic-access televisionPublic-access television is a form of non-commercial mass media where ordinary people can create content television programming which is cablecast through cable TV specialty channels...
show. She first goes out with Dave Farouq-El-Abar from another school, 'Trinity', and later dates Boris Pelkowski after Lilly breaks his heart. After Mia and Lilly's estrangement at the end of the eighth novel, Mia comes to see Tina as her best friend. Tina constantly reads romance novelRomance novelThe romance novel is a literary genre developed in Western culture, mainly in English-speaking countries. Novels in this genre place their primary focus on the relationship and romantic love between two people, and must have an "emotionally satisfying and optimistic ending." Through the late...
s, making Mia consider her an expert in romance. Though prone to imaginative flights of fancy and often seen little silly, Tina can be extremely acute about both academic and social matters. Tina is very loyal to Mia, who consults her for sensitive advice rather than the harsher Lilly.
- Helen Thermopolis: Mia's birth mother. She has a career as an artist and spends most of her time in her studio, and becomes pregnant with Frank's son and Mia's half brother Rocky in the second book. According to Mia, she is very pretty. She clearly wants the best for her daughter and is very carefree.
- 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. He plays the drums, which annoys the neighbors. He is unfazed by his stepdaughter's fame, and treats her the same as every other student during class, and also "has a thing about cell-phone usage during class time" (as Lana finds out the hard way in Princess in Waiting). Mia appreciates his after-school algebra review sessions. Though their relationship begins awkwardly, Mia and Mr. G seem to get on well after the seventh installment.
- John Paul "J.P." Reynolds Abernathy IV: Formerly known as "Guy Who Hates It When They Put Corn In the Chili," J.P. meets Mia via the school musical written by Grandmère. Mia asks him to sit with the rest of her friends in "Party Princess." Surprisingly cute and talented, he becomes one of Mia's best friends. In the seventh book, Lilly and J.P. become a couple. J.P. is first described as having "broad shoulders, floppy brown hair, and surprisingly blue eyes," though the eighth and ninth novels state that Mia and J.P. look good together because they are both so "tall and blond." J.P. is Mia's chemistry partner in book eight. In book nine, J.P and Mia go to watch Beauty and the BeastBeauty and the Beast (musical)Beauty and the Beast is a musical with music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice and a book by Linda Woolverton, based on the 1991 Disney film of the same name. Seven new songs were written for the stage musical...
on BroadwayBroadway theatreBroadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
after the fateful events of the previous few days, and they both promise to forget both of the Moscovitzes, at least for the duration of the musical. They go to the musical as friends but that soon changes when J.P. eventually confessed his love for Mia and they became a couple. They break up in the last book when Mia finds out about the lies he had told her and the true reason he went out with her, but they attempt to remain friends.
- Boris Pelkowski: A RussianRussiansThe Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
violin virtuosoVirtuosoA virtuoso is an individual who possesses outstanding technical ability in the fine arts, at singing or playing a musical instrument. The plural form is either virtuosi or the Anglicisation, virtuosos, and the feminine form sometimes used is virtuosa...
, and Lilly's boyfriend until book five. His habits include tucking his sweater into his pants, breathing through his mouth, and playing the violin in Gifted and Talented Class/program, when everyone else wants him to be quiet. After Lilly dumps him, he starts dating Tina Hakim Baba. During the summer before their sophomore year, he lifts weights, gets laser eye surgery and becomes (by Mia's standards) a hottie. Boris is a "say it like it is or say nothing at all" sort of guy. In the ninth installment, it appears that Boris is in contact with Michael (they were in a band together and became friends), as Boris implores Mia to respond to Michael's emails so that he won't think she's "forgotten" about him.
- Josh Richter: The most popular senior at Albert Einstein for the first five books. He is dating Lana Weinberger. He is on the crewSport rowingRowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water...
team and is co-valedictorianValedictorianValedictorian is an academic title conferred upon the student who delivers the closing or farewell statement at a graduation ceremony. Usually, the valedictorian is the highest ranked student among those graduating from an educational institution...
. Mia once described him as the most attractive boy in school; he is very tall and muscular and has "electric" blue eyes. At the end of the first book, Josh Richter takes Mia to the "Cultural Diversity Dance", where he kisses her on the entrance steps of her school. Realizing that he used her to enter the media spotlight, Mia dislikes him afterwards and tries to avoid him, though this is difficult because of their adjacent lockers.
- Lana Weinberger: A popular junior cheerleader with long blonde hair, a peaches-and-cream complexion, baby blue eyes and large breasts. She dates Josh Richter from the start of the series until the summer break between the fifth and sixth books when they split up due to the four-mile distance between them and his departure for college. Lana's younger sister, Gretchen, starts at AEHS in volume eight and has a very similar personality. Lana is very spiteful towards Mia until a major shift in the ninth novel, when Lana offers the olive branch because Lilly is no longer a part of Mia's social circle. Lana and Mia become good friends- with Mia noting that Lana is actually a nice but misunderstood person- although there is still some awkwardness. at the start Lana is consistently teasing Mia and making her angry which makes her stomp on Lana's phone in the 3rd book.
- Shameeka Taylor: One of Mia's friends, she has an overprotective father. After she joins the cheerleading team, Lana claims that the African AmericanAfrican AmericanAfrican Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
Shameeka was put on the team to "fill our freak quota". Nevertheless, Shameeka becomes quite popular, apparently leaving Mia's group in books seven and eight though remaining on friendly terms, but returns in book nine when Lana and Trisha become friends with them.
- Ling Su Wong: An Asian AmericanAsian AmericanAsian Americans are Americans of Asian descent. The U.S. Census Bureau definition of Asians as "Asian” refers to a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan,...
artistArtistAn artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
friend of Mia's with illegible "artist handwriting". Mia thinks she is very pretty; in the first book, she is apparently asked out seven times. In book seven, she is the treasurer for Mia's school government until they go broke. She is more concentrated on academic matters rather than things such as prom and dating. It's clearly stated in the book that Mia likes her despite all her nerdiness.
- Prince René of Italy: First seen in the fourth novel, René is Mia's distant cousin. Clarisse tries to fix them up, but fails because of their mutual lack of interest. He is described as devilishly handsome; Mia notes that he has a "impressing" six-pack, accentuated by the really tiny speedos he enjoys wearing on the beach. His exploits include playing strip-tennis with a government official's wife, playing strip bowling with Lilly and the other royals, entertaining topless sunbathers in the pool house, disappearing with a prime minister's eighteen-year-old daughter, and photo-copying his nether-region in the palace administration office. After being deposed from his ancestral palace, which is bought by a shoe designer, Rene resides at the Palais de Genovia. In the ninth installment, René impregnates Contessa Trevanni's niece, Bella, and they are suddenly married; although the circumstances sound unfavorable, their marriage seems happy. In the tenth book, Prince René runs against Mia's dad for Prime Minister of Genovia but loses.
- "Mamaw" Shirley Thermopolis and "Papaw" Thermopolis: Helen's mother and father from Indiana whom she constantly feuds with. Nevertheless, they keep in touch, and are seen in the second novel as perfect stereotypes of the "small-town" American lifestyle. Helen tries to contact them as little as possible, because of their disapproval of her decision to keep Mia and her liberal upbringing. The Thermopolis parents keep a hardware store in Versailles, Indiana.
- Hank Thermopolis: Mia's cousin, son of Helen's sister Marie (whom Helen also doesn't get along with due to Marie's being a Republican), who spent most of his life in Indiana with his grandparents. When they come to visit Helen and Mia in Manhattan, the apparently quite good looking Hank (Mia never noticed as he is her cousin) confesses to Lilly his secret desire to become a model and Lilly helps him land a contract with Calvin Klein. From then on he stays in New York and becomes a famous underwear model.
- Kenneth "Kenny" Showalter: Mia's first boyfriend. Kenny is good at biology and chemistry, and a fan of animeAnimeis the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
. He wants to discover a cure for cancer when he becomes older. It is hinted at that his feelings for Mia are still romantic even after they break up. In book six, he pretends to have a "perfect" girlfriend named Heather, but later admits that he invented her to make Mia jealous. Kenny later forms a much more requited and equal relationship with Lilly, who is more similar to him than Mia is.
- Perin Thomas: A student at AEHS. At first, Mia can't figure out whether Perin is a boy or a girl. She turns out to be a girl and becomes friends with Mia. She is again mistaken for a boy in Grandmère's musical, in which she is given a male role. In the book ten it is continually implied that Perin and Ling Su are romantically involved with each other, though this is not confirmed
- Trisha Hayes: Also known as Trish; one of Lana's cronies who helps terrorize Mia, but later befriends her at Lana's whim.
- Judith Gershner: A friend of Michael's whom Mia suspects of having romantic feelings for Michael. She later becomes the object of Mia and Michael's breakup at the end of book eight because she had sex with Michael in the third book but he did not tell Mia about it. She is also well known for being able to clone fruit flies.
- Karen Martinez: An overly critical English teacher who continually demands more from Mia's writing, though this may be an excuse to personally pick Mia. Tina thinks she is very pretty, compares her to Maggie GyllenhaalMaggie GyllenhaalMargaret Ruth "Maggie" Gyllenhaal born November 16, 1977) is an American actress. She is the daughter of director Stephen Gyllenhaal and screenwriter Naomi Foner Gyllenhaal and the older sister of actor Jake Gyllenhaal. She made her screen debut when she began to appear in her father's films...
, and often comments on her clothes.
- Rocky Thermopolis-Gianini: Mia's half-brother; the son of her mother, Helen, and her algebra teacher, Mr. Gianini. Mia is incredibly over-protective of him, so much that Helen seems to be irritated that Mia thinks her mother is incapable of raising her second child. Lilly has also expressed that she thinks Mia is overprotective of him, repeatedly calling her a baby-licker in book six.
- Sebastiano Grimaldi: Mia's second-ish cousin, second in line to the crown of Genovia. He is an up-and-coming fashion designer who designs some of Mia's gowns, and often has trouble pronouncing the ends of words(example: "butt" instead of "butter").
- Ruth and Morty Moscovitz: Michael and Lilly's parents. They are both psychoanalysts. They separate in book seven, but begin to rekindle their relationship in book eight. As shown in the seventh installment, they tend to focus too much on their own lives and concerns. When they do broach sensitive subjects with their children, they usually psychoanalyze them as well, a habit that has a very bad effect on Lilly. Michael, who is more perceptive, avoids their attention by keeping more to himself.
Volumes
- The Princess DiariesThe Princess Diaries (novel)The Princess Diaries is the first volume of the critically acclaimed, best-selling series of the same name by Meg Cabot. It was released in 2000 by Harper Collins Publishers, and later became a film of the same name starring Anne Hathaway.-Summary:...
, October 2000 - The Princess Diaries, Volume II: Princess in the SpotlightThe Princess Diaries, Volume II: Princess in the SpotlightThe Princess Diaries Volume II: Princess in the Spotlight, released in the United Kingdom as Princess Diaries: Take Two, is the second book in the series The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot and was published in 2001...
, June 2001 - The Princess Diaries, Volume III: Princess in LoveThe Princess Diaries, Volume III: Princess in LoveThe Princess Diaries Volume III: Princess in Love, , is a young adult book in the critically acclaimed Princess Diaries series...
, March 2002 - The Princess Diaries, Volume IV: Princess in WaitingThe Princess Diaries, Volume IV: Princess in WaitingThe Princess Diaries, Volume IV: Princess in Waiting, released in the United Kingdom as The Princess Diaries: Mia Goes Forth, is a young adult book in the critically acclaimed Princess Diaries series. Written by Meg Cabot, it was released in 2003 by Harper Collins Publishers and is the fourth book...
, April 2003- The Princess Diaries, Volume IV and 1/4: 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 IV and 1/2: Project PrincessThe Princess Diaries, Volume IV and 1/2: Project PrincessThe Princess Diaries, Volume IV and 1/2: Project Princess is a young adult novel in the critically acclaimed Princess Diaries series. Written by Meg Cabot, it was released in 2003 by HarperCollins Publishers and is the first novella in the series....
, August 2003
- The Princess Diaries, Volume V: Princess in PinkThe Princess Diaries, Volume V: Princess in PinkThe Princess Diaries Volume V: Princess in Pink, released in the United Kingdom as The Princess Diaries: Give Me Five, is a young adult book in the critically acclaimed Princess Diaries series. Written by Meg Cabot, it was released in 2004 by Harper Collins Publishers and is the fifth book in the...
, March 2004 - The Princess Diaries, Volume VI: Princess in TrainingThe Princess Diaries, Volume VI: Princess in TrainingPrincess in Training is the sixth volume of the Princess Diaries series by Meg Cabot. It was first published in 2005. In the United Kingdom, it was released under the title Sixational.-Plot summary:...
, March 2005- The Princess Diaries, Volume VI and 1/2: The Princess PresentThe Princess Diaries, Volume VI and 1/2: The Princess PresentThe Princess Diaries, Volume VI and 1/2: The Princess Present is a young adult book in the critically acclaimed Princess Diaries series. Written by Meg Cabot, it was released in 2005 by HarperTeen Publishers....
, October 2005
- The Princess Diaries, Volume VI and 1/2: The Princess Present
- The Princess Diaries, Volume VII: Party PrincessThe Princess Diaries, Volume VII: Party PrincessThe Princess Diaries, Volume VII: Party Princess, released in the United Kingdom as The Princess Diaries: Seventh Heaven, is a young adult book in the critically acclaimed Princess Diaries series...
, March 2006- The Princess Diaries, Volume VII and 1/2: Sweet Sixteen PrincessThe Princess Diaries, Volume VII and 1/2: Sweet Sixteen PrincessThe Princess Diaries, Volume VII and 1/2: Sweet Sixteen Princess is a young adult book in the critically acclaimed Princess Diaries series...
, May 2006
- The Princess Diaries, Volume VII and 1/2: Sweet Sixteen Princess
- The Princess Diaries, Volume VIII: Princess on the BrinkThe Princess Diaries, Volume VIII: Princess on the BrinkThe Princess Diaries, Volume VIII: Princess on the Brink, released in the United Kingdom as The Princess Diaries: After Eight, is a young adult book in the critically acclaimed Princess Diaries series. Written by Meg Cabot, it was released in 2007 by Harper Collins Publishers and is the eighth...
, January 2007 - The Princess Diaries, Volume IX: Princess MiaThe Princess Diaries, Volume IX: Princess MiaThe Princess Diaries, Volume IX: Princess Mia, released in the United Kingdom as The Princess Diaries: To The Nines, is a young adult book in the critically acclaimed Princess Diaries series...
, December 26, 2007 - The Princess Diaries, Volume X: Forever PrincessThe Princess Diaries, Volume X: Forever PrincessThe Princess Diaries, Volume X: Forever Princess is a young adult book in the Princess Diaries series. Written by Meg Cabot, it was released on January 6, 2009 by Harper Collins Publishers and is the final novel in the series....
, January 2009
Illustrated by Chelsey McLaren:
- Princess Lessons, March 2003
- Perfect Princess, March 2004
- Holiday Princess, November 2005
Errata
On April 6, 2006, Cabot announced a mistake on the back cover of her new book, Party Princess. In New Zealand and Australia, the picture on the back features Georgia ByngGeorgia Byng
Lady Georgia Mary Caroline Byng, , is a British author of children's books and a former actress. Her first writing was for a comic strip, and her first published book was The Sock Monsters. Byng's best known work is Molly Moon's Incredible Book of Hypnotism and its sequels, about a girl who finds a...
instead of Cabot. She said, "Don't worry. The copies of Princess Diaries 7 with Georgia Byng's picture on the back are being pulled from shops, and swapped for copies of the book with the correct author's photo (mine) on the back."
In December 2006, Cabot announced that a mistake had been made in the front cover summary of Valentine Princess. Since the book chronicles Mia glancing at her old diaries, the characters Boris and Tina were not dating, rather Boris and Lilly. However, on the book flap it says Boris and Tina are a couple. Cabot has announced that this will be fixed by the publishing company. Tina was dating Dave Farouq El-Abar at the time of books one and two.
In the 10th book (Forever Princess) Mia is writing a novel for her senior project, though she keeps it a secret from everyone but Michael, until the end of the book. At the end however she reveals this to Tina and J.P. Tina reads it instantly and thinks it is about Mia and Michael; J.P. doesn't read it and this upsets Mia, which is part of the reason they break up. At the end of the book, Mia receives an offer to get it published.( When Mia shares this news with Michael, they celebrate and this leads to a kiss, which proves that they are still in love.) Meg Cabot published "Mia's" book Ransom My Heart that can be bought in bookstores under the author name Princess of Genovia Mia Thermopolis.
Awards and nominations
- 2001 American Library AssociationAmerican Library AssociationThe American Library Association is a non-profit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with more than 62,000 members....
Best Book for Young Adults - 2001 American Library Association Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers
- 2001 New York Public LibraryNew York Public LibraryThe New York Public Library is the largest public library in North America and is one of the United States' most significant research libraries...
Book for the Teen Age - 2002 International Reading AssociationInternational Reading AssociationThe International Reading Association is an international professional organization that was created in 1956 to improve reading instruction, facilitate dialogue about research on reading, and encourage the habit of reading....
/Children's Book Council Young Adults' Choice - 2002–2003 Volunteer State Book Award (TennesseeTennesseeTennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
) - 2003 Evergreen Young Adult Book Award (Washington)
Adaptations
In 2001 and 2004 respectively, the series was brought to the big screen by Walt Disney PicturesWalt Disney Pictures
Walt Disney Pictures is an American film studio owned by The Walt Disney Company. Walt Disney Pictures and Television, a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Studios and the main production company for live-action feature films within the Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group, based at the Walt Disney...
as The Princess Diaries
The Princess Diaries (film)
The Princess Diaries is a 2001 comedy film produced by singer and actress Whitney Houston and directed by Garry Marshall. It is based on Meg Cabot's 2000 novel of the same name...
and The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement
The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement
The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement is the 2004 sequel to 2001's The Princess Diaries.Most of the cast returned from the first film, including Anne Hathaway, Julie Andrews, Héctor Elizondo, and Heather Matarazzo...
starring Anne Hathaway
Anne Hathaway (actress)
Anne Jacqueline Hathaway is an American actress. After several stage roles, she appeared in the 1999 television series Get Real. She played Mia Thermopolis in The Princess Diaries...
and Julie Andrews
Julie Andrews
Dame Julia Elizabeth Andrews, DBE is an English film and stage actress, singer, and author. She is the recipient of Golden Globe, Emmy, Grammy, BAFTA, People's Choice Award, Theatre World Award, Screen Actors Guild and Academy Award honors...
. Cabot has thanked the movies 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.
In May 2006, The Harvard Crimson
The Harvard Crimson
The Harvard Crimson, the daily student newspaper of Harvard University, was founded in 1873. It is the only daily newspaper in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and is run entirely by Harvard College undergraduates...
released reports that 19-year-old author Kaavya Viswanathan
Kaavya Viswanathan
How Opal Mehta Got Kissed, Got Wild, and Got a Life is a young adult novel by Kaavya Viswanathan, an Indian-American woman who wrote it just after she graduated from high school. Its 2006 debut was highly publicized, but the book was withdrawn after allegations that portions had been plagiarized...
borrowed passages from Cabot's Princess Diaries series, and other books, to place in her novel How Opal Mehta Got Kissed, Got Wild, and Got a Life. Viswanathan's novels were subsequently pulled from the shelves.
Meta-References
- Mia makes many references to "the movie", which in the book is supposed to be a movie made about her life. She refers to things that relate to the real movie, for example: her dead dad,Grandmere being NICE, and breaking up with Michael in the sequel (which she thought would never happen). Lilly complains that in the movie, the portrayal of her is mean and untrue, and Tina Hakim Baba was not allowed to be in it as her overprotective father forbade it for security reasons.
- Mia also makes references to the other Princess books: in the fourth book, Mia says that there are already three or four unofficial biographies out there, and that one made the bestseller list once. The original The Princess Diaries novel did make the bestseller list.
- The eighth novel mentions Samantha Madison and Jessica Mastriani, two heroines from other Meg Cabot books (All-American Girl and 1-800-Where-R-You, respectively).
See also
- Princess Charlotte, Duchess of ValentinoisPrincess Charlotte, Duchess of ValentinoisPrincess Charlotte, Duchess of Valentinois , was the daughter of Louis II, Prince of Monaco, and the mother of Prince Rainier III...
(1898–1977): the illegitimate daughter of Louis II, Prince of MonacoLouis II, Prince of MonacoLouis II was Prince of Monaco and Duke of Valentinois from 27 June 1922 until 9 May 1949.-Early years:Born Louis Honoré Charles Antoine Grimaldi in Baden-Baden, Germany, he was the only child of Prince Albert I of Monaco , and Lady Mary Victoria Hamilton...
, later legitimized as his legal heiress; mother of Rainier III, Prince of MonacoRainier III, Prince of MonacoRainier III, Prince of Monaco , styled His Serene Highness The Sovereign Prince of Monaco, ruled the Principality of Monaco for almost 56 years, making him one of the longest ruling monarchs of the 20th century.Though he was best known outside of Europe for having married American...
. - Jazmin Grace Grimaldi (1992–present): the illegitimate daughter of Albert II, Prince of MonacoAlbert II, Prince of MonacoAlbert II, Sovereign Prince of Monaco is the head of the House of Grimaldi and the ruler of the Principality of Monaco. He is the son of Rainier III, Prince of Monaco, and the American actress Grace Kelly...
, born and living in the U.S. - Republic of GenoaRepublic of GenoaThe Most Serene Republic of Genoa |Ligurian]]: Repúbrica de Zêna) was an independent state from 1005 to 1797 in Liguria on the northwestern Italian coast, as well as Corsica from 1347 to 1768, and numerous other territories throughout the Mediterranean....
: a historical republic bearing geographical and cultural similarities to the fictional modern Genovia. - Ruritanian romanceRuritanian RomanceA Ruritanian Romance is a story set in a fictional country, usually in Central or Eastern Europe, such as the Ruritania that gave the genre its name...
: the general genre of story.