Helen Thermopolis O'Connell is a major character in Disney's 2001 feature film, The Princess Diaries. She is the mother of Mia Thermopolis.
Background[]
In her young adult years in college, she had met and fallen for a handsome man named Philippe Renaldi, whom she later discovered was, in fact, a prince from the country of Genovia. A few years, they married and had one child; a daughter whom they named Amelia, nicknamed Mia. At some point, due to Philippe's status as a prince and Helen wanting to pursue her art career on her own terms, the two had a falling out and divorced, although they still retained love for each other. She, Philippe, and Clarisse agreed to keep Mia's royal heritage a secret until her eighteenth birthday.
Appearances[]
The Princess Diaries[]
Helen calls her fifteen-year-old daughter from her tower room as she is late for school and gives her advice for her debate class. After school, she meets up with Mia at her after-school job and will have a talk with her teacher and announces that Clarisse calls, wanting to meet Mia. After the first meeting, Helen tells her about wanting to tell Mia about her royal lineage when she turned eighteen but Philippe's death derailed things. She persuades Mia to attend princess lessons with her grandmother until the Genovian Independence Day Ball. She supports Mia throughout the process, especially when Mia is outed as a princess by the media and when Mia is humiliated. She smiles when Mia announces her role to be the next Princess of Genovia and is now in a relationship with Mr. O'Connell.
The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement[]
Five years later, she is seen at her 21-year-old daughter's college graduation next to her husband and is pregnant with her son. She later comes to Genovia to see Mia, now crown princess, and introduces her to her stepfather and infant half-brother Trevor. She watches Mia almost marry Andrew, Clarisse marry Joe, and Mia's coronation as Queen of Genovia.
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