National Princess Day, on November 18, is a celebration in which anyone, no matter who they are, can be a princess. Treat yourself or the princesses in your life as royalty on this day. Below you will find a list of books where you can learn about real-life princesses, cook some royal meals, or watch a movie featuring a princess.
How can you celebrate? Here's a couple fun ideas:
- Princess movie marathon (see below for some princess films available at the library)
- Cook or bake some treats fit for a princess
- Dress up as your favorite princess
- Read a book about a princess
- The Life of a Princess (Adult Biographies)
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Diana: her true story -- in her own words by Andrew Morton
Greeted initially with disbelief and ridicule, the #1 New York Times bestselling biography has become a unique literary classic, not just because of its explosive contents but also because of Diana’s intimate involvement in the publication. Never before had a senior royal spoken in such a raw, unfiltered way about her unhappy marriage, her relationship with the Queen, her extraordinary life inside the House of Windsor, her hopes, her fears, and her dreams. Now, twenty-five years on, biographer Andrew Morton has revisited the secret tapes he and the late princess made to reveal startling new insights into her life and mind. In this fully revised edition of his groundbreaking biography, Morton considers Diana’s legacy and her relevance to the modern royal family.
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The Princess Spy: the true story of World War II spy Aline Griffith, Countess of Romanones by Larry Loftis
As the US entered the Second World War, Aline Griffith was a college graduate desperate to aid in the war effort, but her only career experience was modeling clothes. A chance meeting led her to join the Office of Strategic Services, forerunner of the CIA. She was sent to Spain to be a coder, but soon given the additional assignment of infiltrating the upper echelons of society, mingling with high-ranking officials, diplomats, and titled Europeans, any of whom could be an enemy agent. Griffin recruited sub-agents to counter Nazi tactics in Madrid. Even after marrying the Count of Romanones, one of the wealthiest men in Spain, she was given special assignments when abroad that would benefit from her impeccable pedigree and social connections.
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The Duchess: Camilla Parker Bowles and the love affair that rocked the crown by Penny Junor
The esteemed royal biographer traces the unlikely and extraordinary story of the once-reviled wife of Britain's Prince Charles, detailing her roles in some of the darkest days of the modern monarchy and her role in helping restore its reputation.
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Anna Madgigine Jai Kingsley: African princess, Florida slave, plantation slaveowner by Daniel L. Schafer
Anna Kingsley's life story adds a dramatic chapter to histories of the South, the state of Florida, and the African Diaspora. Both an American slave and a slaveowner and possibly an African princess. Anna was captured as a teenager in Senegal in 1806 and sold into slavery. Zephaniah Kingsley, Jr., a planter and slave trader from Spanish East Florida, bought her in Havana and took her to his St. Johns River plantation, where she soon became his household manager, his wife, and eventually the mother of four of his children.
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Elizabeth & Margaret: the intimate world of the Windsor sisters by Andrew Morton
They were the closest of sisters and the best of friends. But when, in a quixotic twist of fate, their uncle Edward Vlll decided to abdicate the throne, the dynamic between Elizabeth and Margaret was dramatically altered. Forever more Margaret would have to curtsey to the sister she called 'Lillibet.' And bow to her wishes. Elizabeth would always look upon her younger sister's antics with a kind of stoical amusement, but Margaret's struggle to find a place and position inside the royal system--and her fraught relationship with its expectations--was often a source of tension. Famously, the Queen had to inform Margaret that the Church and government would not countenance her marrying a divorcee, Group Captain Peter Townsend, forcing Margaret to choose between keeping her title and royal allowances or her divorcee lover. From the idyll of their cloistered early life, through their hidden war-time lives, into the divergent paths they took following their father's death and Elizabeth's ascension to the throne, this book explores their relationship over the years. Andrew Morton's latest biography offers unique insight into these two drastically different sisters--one resigned to duty and responsibility, the other resistant to it--and the lasting impact they have had on the Crown, the royal family, and the ways it adapted to the changing mores of the 20th century.
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The Lost Tudor Princess: the Life of Lady Margaret Douglas by Alison Weir
Lady Mary Douglas, the beautiful, cunning niece of Henry VIII of England, used her sharp intelligence and covert power to influence the Tudor succession after the death of Elizabeth I. From her auspicious birth in 1530 to her appointment as lady-in-waiting for four of Henry's six wives, Margaret's life was steeped in intrigue, drama and tragedy. Her life spanned five reigns and provides many missing links between the Tudor and Stuart dynasties. Weir brings this captivating character out of the shadows.
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Meghan: a Hollywood princess by Andrew Morton
When Meghan Markle and Prince Harry were set up by a mutual friend on a blind date in July 2016, little did they know that the resulting whirlwind romance would lead to their engagement in November 2017 and marriage in May 2018. Since then, our fascination with the woman who has smashed the royal mold has rocketed. So different from those coy brides of recent history, Meghan is confident, charismatic, and poised; her warm and affectionate engagement interview won the hearts of the world. In this first-ever biography of the duchess-to-be, acclaimed royal biographer Andrew Morton goes back to Meghan's roots to uncover the story of her childhood growing up in The Valley in Los Angeles, her studies at an all-girls Catholic school, and her fraught family life--a painful experience mirrored by Harry's own background. Morton also delves into her previous marriage and divorce in 2013, her struggles in Hollywood as her mixed heritage was time and again used against her, her big break in the hit TV show Suits, and her work for a humanitarian ambassador--the latter so reminiscent of Princess Diana's passions.
- The Life of a Princess (Juvenile Biographies)
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Real Princesses Change the World by Carrie A. Pearson
This picture book compiles biographies of 11 different princesses, highlighting who they truly are: diplomats, engineers, activists, athletes, and so much more. It focuses on their achievements and contributions, situating them as active members in the global and local community. From Nigeria to Japan, Saudi Arabia to Sweden, and Thailand to Tonga. This picture book takes readers on a trip that spans the whole world.
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Hatshepsut: the princess who became king by Ellen Galford
Biography of Hatshepsut's palace childhood and her adult life as Egypt's female pharaoh.
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Paiute princess: the story of Sarah Winnemucca by Deborah Kogan Ray
Documents the life and achievements of the nineteenth-century Northern Paiute leader, examining how her aptitude for languages and diplomacy enabled her to advocate on behalf of her tribe.
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Pocahontas : facilitating exchange between the Powhatan and the Jamestown settlers by Jeanne Nagle
Many school-aged children are familiar with the story of Pocahontas. Yet most accounts of this Native American icon gleaned from sources such as fables and animated feature films are rife with inaccuracies. This title emphasizes the truth behind the embellishments, examining how an Indian princess first befriended early American colonists and then became an influential contributor to their survival and well-being. Readers also get a meaningful glimpse into life in the Jamestown colony, as well as the customs and traditions of Algonquin society.
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Diana, Princess of Wales by Robin S. Doak
Is it true that Diana was known as the "People's Princess? Yes. Her friendly nature and charity work brought her closer to the public than any member of the British royal family had ever been!
See Also: Who Was Princess Diana? by Ellen Labrecque
- Recipes Fit for Royalty
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The Princess Bride: the official cookbook by Jenn Fujikawa
The Official Cookbook features more than 50 recipes for dishes seen in, and inspired by, the film.
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The Royal Touch: simply stunning home cooking from a former royal chef by Carolyn Robb
The Royal Touch is a beautiful compilation of stunning recipes gathered from far and wide on an incredible culinary journey. It is one that has covered three continents over several decades and has taken in many a royal palace along the way. Carolyn Robb, former personal chef to TRH The Prince and Princess of Wales, Prince William and Prince Harry, presents the food that she loves to serve to her family and friends; food that is fit for a king, yet is accessible to us all.
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Enchanted Recipes by Thibaud Villanova
Enjoy 40 recipes inspired by Disney and Pixar's most popular animated films: Grumpy's plum pie, King Louie's fruit salad, Little John's stew, Tiana's gumbo, Remy's ratatouille, Jack-Jack-s cookies, and more. Immerse yourself in the magical world of Disney within the pages of this book as you relive your favorite characters' most iconic moments. Invite them over for a dinner or snack that will delight your family and guests, whether there are 2, 7 or 101 of them!
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Tiana's Cookbook by Joy Howard
Get ready to cook just like Tiana with this beautiful cookbook, featuring fifty easy and delicious recipes inspired by the Disney Princess and her New Orleans restaurant. You're never too young to start cooking! Tiana learned the basics from her daddy when she was just a little girl--and with this cookbook for kids, aspiring young chefs can follow in her footsteps. Featuring simple step-by-step instructions and mouth-watering photos of each dish, this cookbook makes it easy to whip up everything from twists on New Orleans favorites like Chicken and Sausage Gumbo, to delicious desserts like Tiana-Style Beignets, and much more.
- Princess Movie Favorites
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The Swan Princess (1994)
The beautiful Princess Odette is transformed into a swan by an evil sorcerer's spell (which can only be broken by a vow of everlasting love) and held captive at an enchanted lake. There, she befriends Jean-Bob the frog, Speed the turtle and Puffn the bird. Despite their struggle to keep the princess safe, these good-natured animals can do nothing about the sorcerer's spell.
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The Princess Diaries (2001)
For teenager Mia Thermopolis, just surviving each school day is an adventure. Then she receives the shocking news from her grandmother that she is a real-life princess. So begins a comical transformation towards poise and princess-ness, including a media storm, jealous schoolmates, and a plot to take over her country.
See also: The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement (2004)
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The Princess Bride (1987)
A kid, home sick from school, grudgingly allows his grandfather to read him a dusty storybook, which is how we meet the innocent Buttercup, about to marry the nefarious Prince Humperdinck though her heart belongs to Westley. A mysterious pirate, a vengeful Spaniard, and a good-natured giant interrupt the wedding plans.
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Enchanted (2007)
The beautiful princess Giselle is banished by an evil queen from her magical, musical, animated land and finds herself in reality--the gritty streets of modern-day Manhattan. Giselle, adrift in our chaotic world, is shocked by this strange new environment that doesn't operate on a "happily ever after" basis. This place is badly in need of enchantment! But when she begins to fall in love with the charmingly flawed divorce lawyer who has come to her aid - even though she is already promised to a perfect fairy tale prince back home - she has to wonder: Can a storybook view of romance survive in the real world?
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Ever After (1998)
A young woman of the 16th century stands up to her scheming stepmother and works miracles on the lives of everyone around her, including the crown prince of France.
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Cinderella (1997)
History's most enduring fairy tale returns with a thoroughly modern twist in this production of the classic musical--including three additional Rodgers & Hammerstein songs exclusive to this Disney presentation.