Movies like ‘The Princess Diaries’ for Those Who Miss the Iconic Modern Day Fairy Tale

It’s been over two decades since the world fell in love with Anne Hathaway as Mia Thermopolis in “The Princess Diaries.” And if the iconic film’s sequel wasn’t enough, you can continue to enjoy the world of royal romcoms with other movies like “The Princess Diaries.”

In July 2001, the world was introduced to Anne Hathaway following her role as a geeky high schooler from San Francisco whose life is turned upside down after she learns she is the heir to the throne of the fictional country of Genovia, tucked somewhere between France and Spain.

For just under two hours, Anne Hathaway’s quirky character keeps viewers clued to the screen. Her on-screen grandmother and Queen of Genovia played by Julie Andrews, transforms her from a social reject to a prim and proper future ruler, simultaneously forging a bond with her long-lost granddaughter.

And thanks to movies like “The Princess Diaries,” romcom fans can hold onto the magical feeling of being a princess and believing in happily ever after, even if only for a few hours.

In 1953, beloved actress Audrey Hepburn, who plays a princess, shared the silver screen with Gregory Peck, who played an exclusive interview-hungry American reporter who finds himself falling in love with Hepburn’s strong-willed character in “Roman Holiday.”

After running off on her own adventure while in Rome, Peck finds Hepburn’s character asleep on the beach, and their inevitable love story comes in the way of him getting that interview.

In the early 2000s, alongside “She’s the Man,” Amanda Bynes gave us “What a Girl Wants,” a film that pulls at the heartstrings as an American teenager sets out on a quest to find her father, who was never in the picture.

However, unlike “The Princess Diaries,” Bynes’ character discovers that her dad is a British aristocrat pinning to become Prime Minister.

Although her desire to find her long lost father lands the American in the United Kingdom, the teenager soon learns that her presence could trigger the unraveling of family secrets that could cost her dad — played by Colin Firth — the election.

In 2018, Vanessa Hudgens was cast to play two doppelgängers — a baker in Belgravia and the Prince’s fiancée. After the two strangers meet and discover their uncanny likeness, they decide to switch lives for two days. What could go wrong?

However, in the film, the two women soon learn that a lot could be wrong as their decision to pretend to be one another leads them to question everything about their lives, including the men they have feelings for.

Like in “The Princess Diaries,” the royal life and the life of an everyday American come into conflict when Prince Edvard of Denmark, a charming yet slightly reckless playboy, flees to an American college in an attempt to run away from his responsibilities as the next in line for the royal crown.

In college, he meets Paige Morgan — played by Julia Stiles — an academic overachiever who ends up hating her Danish classmate after they are paired in one of their classes.

Slowly, Paige’s disdain for Prince Edvard fades into something more, and soon, she finds herself following the Prince back to his homeland. However, life as a royal for Paige in “The Prince & Me” proves different from what she had imagined.

In “A Christmas Prince,” Amber, a budding reporter, is sent to Europe to get the scoop on a scandalous Prince who is expected to take over the throne following his father’s passing. While hunting for intel, she disguises herself as a tutor and has her conniving ways backed by her boss.

However, Amber soon finds her feelings getting in the way of what was meant to be a work trip, and after realizing that the Prince is not the womanizing party animal he was made out to be, a romance begins to blossom.

Following her father’s death, a country girl’s evil stepmother will stop at nothing to prevent her from marrying the Prince of France, who has to fight to the ends of the Earth for love.

Like “Ever After,” the 1997 version of “Cinderella” is based on the iconic storyline but has earned its title as a classic for its added twist: a predominantly Black cast for the leading roles.

In this musical, singer Brandy plays the well-known princess who falls victim to her stepmother’s abuse, Whitney Houston plays the fairy godmother, with Whoopi Goldberg cast as the Queen.

“The Lizzie McGuire Movie” is another classic film that tore a page out of the script of “The Princess Diaries” and follows the life of an ordinary teenager who has to rise to the occasion when her life is changed seemingly overnight.

Following an embarrassing middle school graduation, Lizzie McGuire — played by Hilary Duff — jets off to Rome, Italy, for a much-needed escape from her life in the States. However, once in the City of Seven Hills, McGuire is thrown into the spotlight after she is mistaken for an Italian pop star.

At first, the glitz and the glam is a dream for the teenager. With a snap of a finger, she went from the girl who tripped and fell at her middle school graduation to the person whose name everyone was screaming at concerts and red-carpet events.

However, the lights soon become blinding for McGuire, and she is faced with choosing between a life of fame and leaving all she has ever known and loved behind while navigating a relationship with a charming Italian boy with a secret.