The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement
Director: Gary Marshall
Cast: Anne Hathaway, Julie Andrews, Chris Pine, John Rhys Davies, Hector Elizondo, Heather Matarazzo, Callum Blue
Princess Mia (Anne Hathaway) has just celebrated her twenty-first birthday, and is now preparing to succeed her grandmother, Queen Clarisse (Julie Andrews), as the new Queen of Genovia. Unfortunately, Mia’s crown is threatened when Viscount Mabrey (John Rhys-Davies), plots for his nephew, Lord Nicholas Devereaux (Chris Pine), to claim the throne, and the crown, instead of Princess Mia. The Viscount reminds the Parliament of a certain law in Genovia, which states that an unmarried woman cannot be crowned Queen. Queen Clarisse persuades her government that Mia should be given a fair opportunity to find a husband, and she is given thirty days to do so, or her crown will be relinquished to young Lord Nicholas. Will Mia rise to become Genovia’s new Queen, or will her crown be lost to her rival forever?
One of the core themes in this film is Mia’s journey into becoming the new Queen of Genovia. As she journeys back to Genovia, Mia says that she will take her grandmother’s place as Queen when Queen Clarisse finds she is ready…but Mia wonders if she will ever be ready to rule her new kingdom. What I appreciate about Mia’s character, is that while she respects the traditions and expectations of her people, she doesn’t allow her own voice to be lost or ignored. I'm proud of the wise and compassionate Queen that Mia is becoming. It is not just the pretty jewels and lavish clothes and glittering palace that make Mia a princess. Mia has the heart of a true Queen, as well. When Mia is told that she might not become Queen, she remembers her father’s wise advice about courage, and she tells her grandmother, Queen Clarisse, that she – Mia – will be Queen and her portrait will hang in the palace next to her father’s…because Mia wants her chance to make a difference as a ruler.
Mia’s love for her people is illustrated when she is in the carriage with her grandmother and Joe (Hector Elizondo), celebrating Genovia’s Independence Day parade. As she passes the children’s home, Mia sees two boys bullying a little girl named Carolina, by pulling on her hair. Rather than ignoring the situation, Mia stops the carriage and protects Carolina from the bullies. She also invites the children to join her in the parade and become little princes and princesses, themselves. When Carolina says she's too little to be a princess, Mia reassures the child that anyone can be a princess today, by her decree, and she allows Carolina to walk beside her and hold her hand as the parade resumes. Lord Nicholas is watching this moment play out, and unlike his acerbic uncle, Nicholas is quite impressed by Mia's gentleness and compassion with the children. We also see Mia using her voice to inspire change in her country, when she proposes that they transform the winter palace, into a home for the orphans, like Carolina, until a proper children's home can be built for them. And while she has the support, and love, of both Andrew and Nicholas, Mia chooses to become Queen in her own right, by making her beautiful speech at the end, and calling to abolish the marriage law, as it pertains to herself, and to future Queens of Genovia.
Love plays an intriguing role in Mia’s journey towards finding her own Prince Charming, and there are two ways that love is illustrated in the film, both forms being that of true love.
The love that is shared between Princess Mia and her fiancé, Duke Andrew Jacoby (Callum Blue), is born not out of emotion, but through an arranged marriage. When Mia returns to Genovia with her grandmother, to celebrate her birthday and begin her preparations to becoming Queen, Mia learns that she must first become married to uphold Genovia’s marriage law, that a woman must be married to rule as Queen. Mia is also told that she has just a month’s time to find a husband, or the throne would go to her rival, Lord Nicholas Devereaux (Chris Pine).
In the first movie, Mia confides to her Mom that when she gets her first kiss, she hopes that her foot pops. Mia has been kissed three times, by the second film's scene where Nicholas kisses her the first time, and they fall into the fountain. The first time, when she kissed Josh, her foot got caught in a volleyball net, and Mia didn't get her first kiss. In the second kiss, when she kisses Michael, her foot DOES pop, but it gets caught on the switch to turn the garden lights/fountains on. So, while she had a kiss, her foot still got caught, and as we learn from Mia’s diary, her romance with Michael didn't last, and they are simply good friends now. When Mia kisses her third love, Andrew, to prove to him that it was Andrew, and not Nicholas, who held Mia's heart, both Andrew and Mia admit that there is no spark of love between them. I don't think Josh, or Michael, or even Andrew, were Princess Mia's real "first kiss." Princess Mia experiences her true first kiss, when she meets her future Prince Charming, Lord Nicholas Devereaux. When Nicholas kisses Mia in the garden, her foot pops. When he kisses Mia again, after he proposes to her in the throne room, and wins the princess’s heart, Mia’s foot pops again, and this time, it doesn’t get caught on anything. I think the love that is born between Princess Mia and Lord Nicholas is her first true love…because it is the only kiss that is unhindered by anything.
Love is also the catalyst which connects and entwines the two potential Prince Charming’s – Andrew and Nicholas – to Princess Mia. Their individual love for her is expressed in the sacrifices these noble men make for Mia. When Duke Andrew Jacoby is chosen, by Princess Mia, to become her new husband and help her rule Genovia, as its King, Andrew gives his word, as a gentleman, that he would do this for Mia. When he learns of Mia’s secret moonlight tryst with Nicholas, he is initially upset, but then, Andrew admits to Mia, after they kiss, that there was no spark of true love crackling between them. Despite that, Andrew still wishes to support Mia in her quest to become Queen…he is still willing to marry her, and see her journey through to the end, even knowing that there was no romantic love shared between them. I think that, in their own way, Andrew and Mia do love each other…but their love was one of sacrificing pride and political duty and allowing each other to find their chance at true love.
Lord Nicholas’s love is expressed to Mia as both a sacrifice and as a declaration. Although he is initially Mia’s rival for the crown of Genovia, Nicholas’s love for Mia is expressed in two ways. As he is watching Princess Mia learning how to become a Queen, rather than trying to sabotage Mia, Nicholas, instead, supports the young princess as she learns to be a queen. He helps her when she is struggling with archery, he offers her grandmother, the Queen, wise counsel on helping Mia to get to know her people, and he tells his scheming uncle that he doesn’t want to take Mia’s crown. In the end, Nicholas relinquishes his own claim to the throne, so that Mia can become Genovia’s rightful Queen.
© 2022 Keriane Kellogg. All rights reserved.
Director: Gary Marshall
Cast: Anne Hathaway, Julie Andrews, Chris Pine, John Rhys Davies, Hector Elizondo, Heather Matarazzo, Callum Blue
Princess Mia (Anne Hathaway) has just celebrated her twenty-first birthday, and is now preparing to succeed her grandmother, Queen Clarisse (Julie Andrews), as the new Queen of Genovia. Unfortunately, Mia’s crown is threatened when Viscount Mabrey (John Rhys-Davies), plots for his nephew, Lord Nicholas Devereaux (Chris Pine), to claim the throne, and the crown, instead of Princess Mia. The Viscount reminds the Parliament of a certain law in Genovia, which states that an unmarried woman cannot be crowned Queen. Queen Clarisse persuades her government that Mia should be given a fair opportunity to find a husband, and she is given thirty days to do so, or her crown will be relinquished to young Lord Nicholas. Will Mia rise to become Genovia’s new Queen, or will her crown be lost to her rival forever?
One of the core themes in this film is Mia’s journey into becoming the new Queen of Genovia. As she journeys back to Genovia, Mia says that she will take her grandmother’s place as Queen when Queen Clarisse finds she is ready…but Mia wonders if she will ever be ready to rule her new kingdom. What I appreciate about Mia’s character, is that while she respects the traditions and expectations of her people, she doesn’t allow her own voice to be lost or ignored. I'm proud of the wise and compassionate Queen that Mia is becoming. It is not just the pretty jewels and lavish clothes and glittering palace that make Mia a princess. Mia has the heart of a true Queen, as well. When Mia is told that she might not become Queen, she remembers her father’s wise advice about courage, and she tells her grandmother, Queen Clarisse, that she – Mia – will be Queen and her portrait will hang in the palace next to her father’s…because Mia wants her chance to make a difference as a ruler.
Mia’s love for her people is illustrated when she is in the carriage with her grandmother and Joe (Hector Elizondo), celebrating Genovia’s Independence Day parade. As she passes the children’s home, Mia sees two boys bullying a little girl named Carolina, by pulling on her hair. Rather than ignoring the situation, Mia stops the carriage and protects Carolina from the bullies. She also invites the children to join her in the parade and become little princes and princesses, themselves. When Carolina says she's too little to be a princess, Mia reassures the child that anyone can be a princess today, by her decree, and she allows Carolina to walk beside her and hold her hand as the parade resumes. Lord Nicholas is watching this moment play out, and unlike his acerbic uncle, Nicholas is quite impressed by Mia's gentleness and compassion with the children. We also see Mia using her voice to inspire change in her country, when she proposes that they transform the winter palace, into a home for the orphans, like Carolina, until a proper children's home can be built for them. And while she has the support, and love, of both Andrew and Nicholas, Mia chooses to become Queen in her own right, by making her beautiful speech at the end, and calling to abolish the marriage law, as it pertains to herself, and to future Queens of Genovia.
Love plays an intriguing role in Mia’s journey towards finding her own Prince Charming, and there are two ways that love is illustrated in the film, both forms being that of true love.
The love that is shared between Princess Mia and her fiancé, Duke Andrew Jacoby (Callum Blue), is born not out of emotion, but through an arranged marriage. When Mia returns to Genovia with her grandmother, to celebrate her birthday and begin her preparations to becoming Queen, Mia learns that she must first become married to uphold Genovia’s marriage law, that a woman must be married to rule as Queen. Mia is also told that she has just a month’s time to find a husband, or the throne would go to her rival, Lord Nicholas Devereaux (Chris Pine).
In the first movie, Mia confides to her Mom that when she gets her first kiss, she hopes that her foot pops. Mia has been kissed three times, by the second film's scene where Nicholas kisses her the first time, and they fall into the fountain. The first time, when she kissed Josh, her foot got caught in a volleyball net, and Mia didn't get her first kiss. In the second kiss, when she kisses Michael, her foot DOES pop, but it gets caught on the switch to turn the garden lights/fountains on. So, while she had a kiss, her foot still got caught, and as we learn from Mia’s diary, her romance with Michael didn't last, and they are simply good friends now. When Mia kisses her third love, Andrew, to prove to him that it was Andrew, and not Nicholas, who held Mia's heart, both Andrew and Mia admit that there is no spark of love between them. I don't think Josh, or Michael, or even Andrew, were Princess Mia's real "first kiss." Princess Mia experiences her true first kiss, when she meets her future Prince Charming, Lord Nicholas Devereaux. When Nicholas kisses Mia in the garden, her foot pops. When he kisses Mia again, after he proposes to her in the throne room, and wins the princess’s heart, Mia’s foot pops again, and this time, it doesn’t get caught on anything. I think the love that is born between Princess Mia and Lord Nicholas is her first true love…because it is the only kiss that is unhindered by anything.
Love is also the catalyst which connects and entwines the two potential Prince Charming’s – Andrew and Nicholas – to Princess Mia. Their individual love for her is expressed in the sacrifices these noble men make for Mia. When Duke Andrew Jacoby is chosen, by Princess Mia, to become her new husband and help her rule Genovia, as its King, Andrew gives his word, as a gentleman, that he would do this for Mia. When he learns of Mia’s secret moonlight tryst with Nicholas, he is initially upset, but then, Andrew admits to Mia, after they kiss, that there was no spark of true love crackling between them. Despite that, Andrew still wishes to support Mia in her quest to become Queen…he is still willing to marry her, and see her journey through to the end, even knowing that there was no romantic love shared between them. I think that, in their own way, Andrew and Mia do love each other…but their love was one of sacrificing pride and political duty and allowing each other to find their chance at true love.
Lord Nicholas’s love is expressed to Mia as both a sacrifice and as a declaration. Although he is initially Mia’s rival for the crown of Genovia, Nicholas’s love for Mia is expressed in two ways. As he is watching Princess Mia learning how to become a Queen, rather than trying to sabotage Mia, Nicholas, instead, supports the young princess as she learns to be a queen. He helps her when she is struggling with archery, he offers her grandmother, the Queen, wise counsel on helping Mia to get to know her people, and he tells his scheming uncle that he doesn’t want to take Mia’s crown. In the end, Nicholas relinquishes his own claim to the throne, so that Mia can become Genovia’s rightful Queen.
© 2022 Keriane Kellogg. All rights reserved.