The first Princess Diaries hoisted the then-18-year-old Hathaway to fame. Though it didn't gain a huge critic following, scoring 49% on Rotten Tomatoes, the audience was more receptive, awarding a 68% rating on the same site and 90% on Google Rating.
The sequel got even less favorable ratings, scoring 26% on the Rotten Tomatoes scale, with an audience score of 59%. Google users gave a higher score of 89%.
Despite the Princess Diaries films not being raved about back then, they have since seen a cult following, shaping the 90s generation. They are among the best 2000s feel-good films to watch for a nostalgic trip.
Besides Hathaway and Andrews, the films featured Hollywood familiar faces, including Mandy Moore, Sandra Oh, Héctor Elizondo, Bonnie Aarons, Heather Matarazzo, Chris Pine, Kathleen Marshall, John Rys-Davies and Larry Miller.