'The Princess Diaries': 10 Lessons We Learned from the Movie
Hello, get ready to feel old. The Princess Diaries premiered fifteen years ago. Say whaaaat? In the decade-plus-five-years since we first sat down to watch Anne Hathaway match up against Julie Andrews, we’ve probably seen that movie (and its sequels) at least a million times. Roughly. And, TBH, each time we watch it, there’s another lesson to learn. Thanks to this film, we all felt a little better about our frizzy hair and we probably were inspired to throw ice cream at the popular girl at least once or twice. In honor of its 15th (gulp) birthday, here are 10 lessons that we can thank Mia and Queen Clarisse for.
- 1/10
Embrace your quirky qualities.
Little did Mia know that her bushy eyebrows were actually going to be considered “goals” in about 12 or 13 years. Our differences are what make us beautiful, and even though Mia’s makeover lasted throughout the second and third film, we think she looked great just the way she was.
- 2/10
Don’t fall for the popular jerk.
Let’s talk about Josh for a second. Mia has a crush on him throughout most of the first film, despite the fact that he routinely makes fun of her. Of course, after Mia’s makeover, Josh suddenly is interested, but come on! He could barely give her the time of day earlier. It’s clear what changed his mind, and that speaks volumes about his values. After all, “If you can’t handle me at my frizzy hair and glasses, you don’t deserve me at my princess phase.” Boy, bye.
- 4/10
Stand up to bullies.
To be clear, we’re not encouraging you to dump an ice cream cone on the girl that makes fun of you at school (come on, that would be a waste of a perfectly good dessert), but it is important to stand up for yourself. Sometimes you need to do more than just “shake it off” — sometimes you need to voice you’ve been hurt. Mia did a great job of pushing back against those who have wronged her, and she even had to stand up to her BFF a couple of times as well.
- 5/10
Respect your elders.
Anyone close to their grandparents know — sometimes, grandma knows best. There are certain levels of politeness that our elders expect (Queen Clarisse would call it “etiquette”). Sometimes, it’s just easier to avoid putting your elbows on the table than to argue with grandma. With that said...
- 6/10
...Know when you’re right.
Grandma and grandpa won’t always be correct. There are times when you’ll have to stand up for yourself (see #4) in the face of your own parents or grandparents. Of course, it’s important to always be respectful, but you should also be confident. Know when it’s time to comply, and when it’s time to stand your ground.










