Royal Wedding by Meg Cabot
For fans of Princess Amalia (Mia) Thermopolis Renaldo of The Princess Diairies fame, Meg Cabot has brought back the urban grown princess and all of her family and friends for an adult installment Mia's escapades. What makesRoyal Wedding a trifle different from the earlier Princess Diaries is that in this story Mia is 26 and now has rather imaginative (and mildly written) sex with long time beau and now fiance, Michael Moscovitz.
The style of the book is the same as those earlier in the series, told largely through the diary entries of Mia Thermopolis and e-mail conversations between her old friends, Lilly, Lana, Ling Su, and Michael. Thus, the tale is told from Princess Mia's skewed point of view, but the style makes for a fast paced read and a lot of great, hilarious lines. Although Mia's story is based on a ridiculous premise, it works because what woman wouldn't want to learn suddenly that she was the heir to the throne of a wealthy principality in Europe? (Well, okay, maybe not everyone, but in some of our fantasy lives, we dream of being a rock star singing in a huge arena to millions of screaming fans or a Sports Illustrated bathing suit model).
Related: http://www.sheindressau.com/cheap-wedding-dresses
Sign Up for E-News
Meg Cabot is not a writer of great literature, but she has the ability to make the reader chortle with delicious descriptions of characters who are consistently ridiculous, but believable enough to love. The most outrageous of Cabot's creations is Mia's Grandmere, who began torturing Mia with “princess lessons,” when Mia first learned that she was the illigitimate daughter of Prince Phillippe of Genovia, and as his only child, heir to the Genovian throne. Grandmere is dictatorial and unrelenting in their private princess sessions and continues to perform with tyranical terror as Mia and Michael plan for their royal wedding. But in Royal Wedding, Mia comes to appreciate what her grandmother has been teaching her, despite how much Mia resented the lessons.
Grandmere, who refuses to reveal her age to anyone, boasts of having been the subject of great romances herself. “According to Grandmere, there are approximately three thousand men who were once very much in love with her, and took it very hard indeed when she chose to marry the Prince of Genovia, instead. They've all taken revenge against her in various ways, including but not limited to: Writing books about her . . . Competing against Genovia in every sport in every Olympics ever . .. Sculpting or painting works of art featuring women.”
Mia's father, the current regent of Genovia, as well as elected Prime Minister, is facing a myriad of problems in the novel. His cousin, Ivan Renaldo, is challenging Phillipe as Prime Minister, and seems to be gaining in the polls. Phillipe has been arrested for driving his sports car in New York City at 95 mph, and, of course, there is the greatest issue of all, a secret that has been kept for 12 years, and is now looming to destroy Phillipe. Princess Mia is not his only illigitimate daughter; Mia has a sister, a sweet girl named Olivia. The unsuspecting princess tweener, Olivia, has grown up in Cranbrook, New Jersey, and just happens to be . . . black.
Mia is thrilled to learn that she has a long lost sister and, despite promising her father that she would wait before contacting Olivia, decides to confront Olivia's aunt and uncle, whom Mia believes are usurping funds sent for Olivia by Phillipe for their personal gain. Arriving at Olivia's home in Cranbrook in the Genovian limousine, decked out with the flags of the tiny principality, Mia is not exactly welcomed into the fold. In fact, Olivia's aunt smashes Mia's foot in an attempt to slam the door on the well-meaning princess. However, Mia manages to locate Olivia at her school and whisks her new-found sister away in the Genovian limousine to meet Grandmere and the rest of the Renaldo clan.
As the result of trying to clean up her father's messes and save the world, Mia has an epiphany when thinking about the times she has spoken to young people about what their aspirations are, and they tell her “When I grow up, I want to be famous, like you, Princess Mia!” (p.175) At first Mia finds this response depressing because to her way of thinking, being famous isn't a job. But then she realizes, “Being famous is very hard work, bu it's also empowering because you have influence over a large number of people and can do amazing things with that power. And it doesn't even matter anymore how you happen to come by that fame, singing or dancing or posting a sex tape on the Internet or finding out that you're a princess. It's what you do with your fame that matters.” (p.175)
The only disappointment in Royal Wedding is that we never get to see much of the actual wedding. Despite the build up with the description of Mia's gown, the guest list, and the venue, Cabot doesn't spend more than a couple of pages on the nuptials. Nevertheless, sometimes it's just great to visit with old friends, have a laugh, and reminisce about the good, old days. I recommend Royal Wedding for those who love the fluff of a light romantic novel and the opportunity to giggle at Mia's concern with where she stands on “Rate the Royals,” the antics of Fat Louie (Mia's elderly cat), and Grandmere's ancient, hairless, horny dog, Rommel. Welcome back, Princess Mia of Genovia!
Beth Moroney, former English teacher and administrator in the Edison Public School District, specialized in teaching Creative Writing and Journalism. Recently Moroney published Significant Anniversaries of Holocaust/Genocide Education and Human/Civil Rights, available through the New Jersey Commission on the Holocaust. A passionate reader, Moroney is known for recommending literature to students, teachers, parents, and the general public for over forty years.
Read more: http://www.sheindressau.com/plus-size-wedding-dresses