The book follows fifteen-year-old, Mia Thermopolis, a freshman attending the Albert Einstein High School in New York City. She is a socially awkward and odd young girl, who has one friend, Lilly Moscovitz. Despite her poor social skills, Mia fantasizes about having a relationship with one of her crushes, the most popular guy in school, Josh Richter or Lilly's brother, Michael.
However, she finds out from her father, Phillipe Renaldo, that she is actually a princess. Since he has been diagnosed with cancer, she must take her role as princess more seriously. In order to do so, her grandmother comes to New York to give her "princess lessons."
Her secret identity as a princess begins to cause complications in her relationship with Lilly, who believes she is always flaking out on helping her with her tv show, "Lilly Tells It Like It Is." Moreover, once it becomes public knowledge that she is a princess, Josh Richter begins to speak to her and asks her to the Cultural Diversity Dance. However, she realizes that Josh is simply using her for publicity, and she leaves him to dance with Michael instead.
