The movie holds a place in our hearts for exploring a very relatable female coming-of-age story, balancing the iconic meme-fuel (that flaming arrow; the fountain kiss) with a narrative that shows Mia discovering more about herself and growing in confidence via mistakes she makes along the way.

Meg Cabot, author of The Princess Diaries books told Stylist: “There are so many reasons why these films hit a particular chord with so many people, especially young women, at that particular time. These films were made before smartphones and the internet became such a ubiquitous part of our lives (and occasionally a source of stress), and no one in any of these films uses anything remotely like modern technology. The plots are relatively relatable but also low angst – will her team win the game/contest (Bring It On/Bend It Like Beckham)? Will she accept the crown and still find love and acceptance (Princess Diaries 1 and 2)? Will she get the guy and the big promotion (every other rom-com ever made)?”

These 00’s romcoms are romanticised as a simpler time, as quite simply it was a simpler time. It also offered some light relief from the political state of the world that was happening outside of these female-led stories, including the treatment of women, which has even led Cabot’s books to be banned in certain countries and her to receive hate mail for writing Mia’s mother as a woman who isn’t in search of a man.

Dr Sarah Louise Smyth, Film Lecturer at the University of Essex, adds: “The Princess Diaries endures because it captures many complexities of social life experienced by young women and girls: what if I don’t fit in at school, with friends or with my family? What is my place or my path in this world? When responsibility – or adulthood – is thrust upon me, will I be able to step up to it? In this way, it’s a classic coming-of-age story.”

The creative team behind the movie was impressive. Long before Shonda Rhimes had us enthralled by Bridgerton, she penned the screenplay for The Princess Diaries 2 (informed by Meg Calbot’s best-selling series of novels, the franchise’s source text), while Whitney Houston served as an executive producer. The soundtrack, meanwhile, wove anthems like Kelly Clarkson’s ‘Breakaway’ and ‘Miracles Happen’ by Myra into the story.

“Romcoms from the 90s and 00s remain cherished by and unrivalled for millennial and gen z women because this was one of the only genres of the time that took women’s concerns and a feminine sensibility seriously. Almost all other films in this period – particularly those watched by young audiences – centred on male characters,” Smyth says.

The Princess Diaries 2 at 20: Our eternal nostalgia for early 2000s romcoms