Everyone, apply your eye cream because, on August 11th, 2004, The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement was released. Often enough, sequels can fall flat for a variety of reasons. With the first Princess Diaries being such a breakout hit – the fans of the first film were unsure that the second film would be just as magical. There were some lingering questions, namely – Where was Michael?? – but the fans quickly fell in love with Chris Pine as Nicholas and were excited to watch Mia grow and accept the challenges of her new role. With the help of her best friend, Lilly, her bodyguard Joe, and of course, her steadfast and strong Grandmother, Clarisse.
If you believe this film made a lasting mark on your childhood, you aren’t the only one. Its $45 million dollar budget was met with a fantastic reception of $134.7 million – a clear success. So make sure that you celebrate the anniversary of this fan favorite by grabbing some popcorn and giving it a well-deserved rewatch. Enjoy the fun facts below and let us know in the comments if we missed any of your favorites!
- Meant to Fly
- Julie Andrews has a very iconic line in the film saying, “I’ve done a lot of flying in my time”. Which of course, is a reference to Mary Poppins.
- A Change in Look
- Anne Hathaway changed costumes more than 50 times for the film! If you feel like her 21st birthday party look seemed familiar – it was because it was inspired by Audrey Hepburn’s red outfit in the film Funny Face!
- An Iconic Voice
- In 1997, Julie Andrews underwent throat surgery. The Princess Diaries 2 would be the first time she would sing on film. She sings the beautiful song “Your Crowning Glory” with Raven-Symoné as Asana. Andrews actually helped compose the song and worked in the clever back-and-forth between the two characters.
- Surfs Up!
- During the iconic Bachelorette Party/Slumber Party Scene, we all watched in envy as Mia and her group of girls Mattress Surfed. In case you wondered if Julie Andrews really took on the challenge – we kindly remind you that she is Mary Poppins after all and in fact, did mattress surf herself! The Queen is never late and does her own stunts, apparently!
- Producing Perfection
- The Princess Diaries had three producers, one of which was Whitney Houston! She would go on to produce Princess Diaries 2 as well!
- Marvel Cameo!
- Don’t blink – because you need to be keeping your eye out for a rather iconic Cameo. If you’ve seen a Marvel film, you are on the edge of your seat waiting for the main man himself, Stan Lee, to make an appearance. He also makes an appearance in The Princess Diaries 2 – which has us wondering… is Mia Thermopolis an Avenger?
- Understandably Starstruck
- Actress Heather Matarazzo who played Lilly – Mias best friend had to take a moment to get used to acting alongside Julie Andrews. She would later state that, “I think it took doing Princess Diaries 2 until I got comfortable with her because she is such a force.”
- Where IS Genovia?
- Okay, If you were like me as a teen, the second I finished The Princess Diaries, I opened up a rather archaic version of Google to see if I had missed something in Geography Class. A D23 fact article about the films stated that “The country of Genovia is an amalgamation of Europe” while Director Garry Marshall has said that “it’s somewhere between Spain and Italy” – while the cast has said otherwise. I don’t believe there is supposed to be an exact example – which is fine with me! What we do know is that filming occurred in Southern California and the palace was built at Disney’s Golden Oak Ranch.
Images: Disney / D23
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