In a story straight out of the Princess Diaries, a woman has revealed what it was like growing up oblivious to the fact that she was a princess.
Princess Sarah Culberson, now 46, was adopted by her West Virginia parents when she was just a baby, and they also had no idea about her royal lineage. Watch below:
She told UNILAD: "As I got older, I started to notice, 'OK, I look different than everybody else.' I knew I was adopted and then I started to wonder about my birth family."
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However, finding out where she came from wasn't an easy journey for Sarah.
She eventually discovered the identity of her birth mother, a white American, and then the heartbreaking news that she had already passed away.
At this point, she was reluctant to contact her father, but curiosity got the better of her and when she was 28, she hired a private investigator to find him in Sierra Leone.
"I wrote a letter," she explained. "I mailed it to Maryland, which is where they said my birth father was, but it was my uncle."
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He then called Sarah days later and told her the incredible truth about her lineage.
Just like in the Princess Diaries, he said to her: "Oh Sarah! We are so happy you have been found. Do you know who you are?"
Needless to say, Sarah did not know who she was, and she simply replied: "I'm Sarah.'"
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She continued: "He says, 'You are part of a royal family. Your great-grandfather was a paramount chief, your grandfather was knighted Justice of the Peace by the Queen of England.
"You can be chief someday. You are a princess in this country."
Sarah was shaking in response to the revelation.
She said: "I was literally thinking, 'What in the world is he talking about?' This is a little bit overwhelming."
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Sarah's uncle then explained that he was going to contact her father, Joseph Konia Kposowa, in Sierra Leone and that he would be delighted to finally meet her.
The pair went on to speak for the first time on the phone two weeks later.
He began by asking Sarah for her forgiveness and explained: "I didn't know how to find you after you'd been placed in adoption. Your name had changed. Everything had changed."
However, she told him that he had nothing to be sorry for and explained that she had a wonderful upbringing in America.
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When Sarah finally got to travel to Sierra Leone after reconnecting with her father, she had a truly royal welcome that included dancing and singing.
"It was beautiful to be welcomed and loved," she said. "It was so spectacular."
After this, Sarah's life changed forever when she decided to become Princess Sarah and help improve the lives of her people.
"It's given me my purpose," she told UNILAD. "It's given me a whole 'nother level in my life."
Her family is currently working to improve education levels and keep girls in school, and they also have a non-profit that works to improve public health.
If you'd like to keep up with Sarah's life as a princess, you can follow her adventures on social media.
Topics: Real Life
Emma Guinness