Anne Hathaway marks 25 years of Princess Diaries, returns

Actress Anne Hathaway marked the 25th anniversary of the film "The Princess Diaries" on Tuesday, August 4, 2026, expressing gratitude for the role that launched her career and paying tribute to its late director. Hathaway shared behind-the-scenes footage from the beloved Disney comedy on social media, writing that the experience remained "one of the most magical things that has ever happened to me" and thanking fans for their enduring love. She concluded her post with a remembrance of director Garry Marshall, who died in July 2016, writing, "Love you Garry, miss you every day."

Released in 2001, "The Princess Diaries" starred a then-17-year-old Hathaway as Mia Thermopolis, a San Francisco teenager who discovers she is the heir to the throne of the fictional European kingdom of Genovia. Guided by her grandmother, Queen Clarisse Renaldi, played by Julie Andrews, Mia undergoes a transformation while deciding whether to accept her royal destiny. The film became a cultural phenomenon, celebrated for its heartwarming story, the chemistry between Hathaway and Andrews, and its message of self-acceptance. Hathaway credited the film's lasting impact to its audience, noting in a recent...