Why is Belle not a Princess?

[tabsicle]

While watching Sophia the First with my kids and nieces and nephew, it dawned on me that Belle ( unless I’m mistaken) is the only Disney Princess not recognized as a Princess on Once. That really bothers me, because Beauty and the Beast was one of my two favorite Disney movies growing up (the other was The Little Mermaid).

I know that there are many different versions out there as far as the Beauty and the Beast story goes. So please do not crucify me as far as origin etc.

I have a children’s book that is basically a collection of 19th century Beauty and the Beast stories mushed up together to make one.

The book version:

In the book I have it tells of a Merchant who has sons, three daughters, the youngest and prettiest is Beauty. He gets ruined by a lawyer in a lawsuit, and is reduced to poverty. He hears a rumor of one of his ships appearing in the next seaport town, and his two older daughters ask for dresses and jewelry, whereas Beauty asks for a rose. When he gets to the harbor he finds out that the rumor was false, and he turns home. On his way home he gets caught in a rain storm, and comes upon a grand palace. There is no one in the palace, but there is a warm fire and a feast there. So the merchant reasons its a good fairy’s house and eats and sleeps. When he wakes up he goes outside and finds a rose garden, he picks a rose to take to Beauty, and a horrible beast comes out. He tells him since he was so ungrateful and stole from his castle after he gave him food and shelter that he must die. The merchant pleaded to see his daughters one last time. The beast told him if he could get one of them to take his place they could if not then he would have to come back to die. The merchant went home and Beauty insisted to go back with him to die in his place.  The beast let the merchant stay one night but then he would have to leave and never return. That night Beauty had a dream that a fairy came and told her that no harm would come to her. After her father left she went to her room, and her portrait was there and under it was the words “Beauty is Queen here all things will obey her.” The beast spent time with her and kept asking her if she wanted him to go away she said no. Eventually he started to ask her to marry him she kept refusing.  In the palace she had a troop of monkeys that waited on her. Beauty was unhappy, because she missed her family, so the beast gave her presents to give to her family, and a ring. He told her to place the ring on her dressing table whenever she desired to go or to return. The beast was sad, and she promised to return.  The next day she fount herself in her father’s house, her sisters engaged to marry young men of good families. While she spent time there she fount out her sisters saw her as a rival and were jealous of her good fortune.  One night she dreamed the beast was lying dead, so she put her ring on the table to return to the palace. And fount the beast lying senseless on his back. The beast said he could die happily now that he was in her arms. She said he must live to be her husband.  Magic happened. And where the beast was there was a handsome Prince all of a sudden. Blah blah blah marriage and I love yous. The good fairy from her dream came and made her family appear for the wedding. The fairy told her blah blah blah your a good person etc. You will have fortune. Blah blah blah you’ll be a great Queen.  And your sisters are now turned to statues to stand at your palace gates and forever see your good fortune they couldn’t have because they’re filled with nasty not niceness. Blah blah blah the end.

I believe everyone is familiar with the Disney movie Beauty and the Beast, if not then educate yourself.

Disney Princesses include:

Belle, Cinderella, Snow White, Mulan, Aurora, Jasmine, Merida, Tiana, Ariel, Rapunzel

And since we’re on the topic, Mulan, to my understanding isn’t a Princess in the movies or the stories, so I don’t understand why she’s a “Disney Princess”

So through these stories Belle/Beauty marries a cursed Prince/Beast and therefore becomes a Princess. And don’t get me wrong I love Belle/Rumbelle, and I’m not hating on the character.  But why isn’t she a Princess? If you wanna stretch it out her non-legal step grandson is a Prince, but that’s too much of a stretch for me. I know its silly, and A & E do what they do, and one topic in one forum isn’t going to change the plot of the show, but it irks me.

So if anyone has a version of the story that Belle does not become a Princess please share.  Also for those of you twitter users, if you wanna ask Adam and post his response if he does respond that’d be cool too.

[RumplesGirl]

Well. I think the answer is two fold.

1) Rumple and Belle aren’t married

2) Rumple’s isn’t actually a Prince.

In all cases before ONCE, the Prince was an actual Prince. Rumple just took over a castle (rather large estate) and set him self up as its master. He’s not actually royalty.

So in this version Belle is the daughter of a nobleman, not a merchant and Rumple isn’t a Prince.

"He was a lot of things to me" "The only conclusion was love"

[tabsicle]

Well yeah. I’m very familiar with Once’s plot. But I think that it discredits Belle. Perhaps instead of being the daughter of a nobleman she could have been a natural born princess. Or shoot, even Rumple’s mother could be royalty.  I just feel like her not being recognized as a princess makes her seem less important in a way, and that really bothers me. To me she’s the savior of Rumple, and therefore a huge character.

Time to hide your crazy, and start acting like a lady.

[TheWatcher]

I’d just like to add that we don’t know if Ariel is a princess in Once. Just throwing that out there. But then again she is a OTP with Eric who we know is still a prince, so even if she is not then she will be. But yah.

Its surprising that Belle isn’t a princess because they could have easily made her one. I didn’t know she wasn’t until Jane said in that tweet or whatever it was she said it in. I’m pretty sure many casual viewers dont know she isn’t. I guess she isn’t because they wanted to simplify the FTL? Like how many kingdoms are there >>

"I could have the giant duck as my steed!" --Daniel Radcliffe
Keeper Of Tamara's Taser , Jafar's Staff, Kitsis’s Glasses , Ariel’s Tail, Dopey's Hat , Peter Pan’s Shadow, Outfit, & Pied Cloak,Red Queen's Castle, White Rabbit's Power To World Hop, Zelena's BroomStick, & ALL MAGIC

[tabsicle]

I know they have their reasons, but it just really irks me. Good catch one the Ariel thing.

Time to hide your crazy, and start acting like a lady.

[Gaultheria]

I just feel like her not being recognized as a princess makes her seem less important in a way, and that really bothers me. To me she’s the savior of Rumple, and therefore a huge character.

It’s the strong female message of the show: she’s cool because of who she is and not because of who her dad is.

Gaultheria's fanvids: http://youtube.com/sagethrasher

[tabsicle]

I love Belle. Don’t get my query wrong, I just thought it odd that all the other “Princesses” aside from Milan, who isn’t an princess in the movies or story, are recognized but Belle is not. Belle is one of my favorite characters.

Time to hide your crazy, and start acting like a lady.

[Grimmsister]

What do you mean? Belle was not a princess in the original story as you write in your post, then why would she be a princess on Once?

Original Belle became a princess/Queen when she married the Beast/cursed Prince.

Making her a Princess on Once would not make her character any more valid or important. Its the story they tell about her that has that effect.

[once_dude]

there are so many other reasons to hate on their treatment of Belle.

1. she was kept in an asyllum for 28 years and dungeon for probably 3 years.

2. She constantly gets imprissoned in the present timeline, Maurice then Ruby  the hospital when she lost her memory the Darling Brothers Captain Hook tries to take advantag of her.

4. She loses her memory and becomes Lacey

She loses Rumple and now will go and fight for him

she lacks a backstory from childhood, (true technically so does David but I just felt like writing that one)

so her not being a princess did not enter my mind

Magic always comes with a price, so I pay with visa.

[tabsicle]

What do you mean? Belle was not a princess in the original story as you write in your post, then why would she be a princess on Once? Original Belle became a princess/Queen when she married the Beast/cursed Prince. Making her a Princess on Once would not make her character any more valid or important. Its the story they tell about her that has that effect.

Cinderella was not a princess until she married her prince. In once Ella was not a princess until she marries Prince Phillip.

Time to hide your crazy, and start acting like a lady.

[Author]

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