Princesses are why we love fantasy, am I right? They are the reason we get into fantasy at a young age. As children we are told stories of princesses being rescued by handsome princes from horrifying dragons and stepmothers. But this is childhood fantasy. Princesses are not clear cut and not all will have happy endings. There are types of princess.
The Classic
The Warrior
The Willful
The Tragic
Now, we may play fast and loose with the term princess here as there are so many we know much about. So any daughter of a ruling figure may be mentioned here.
The Classic
These princesses will fit the fairytale version perfectly. They will be beautiful, kind and good. They will be so sweet that everyone will love them. The Classic princess will most likely evolve into the Good Queen. Any of the stories told here have a simple pattern if you look closely. Beautiful youth, in danger and married happily. Of course this is not the full story and I advise you to read into each.
Princess Mary Rose Tudor, Duchess of Suffolk and Queen of France: Mary was the youngest daughter of Henry VII and the sister of Henry VIII. She was renowned as the most beautiful woman in Christendom and all the eligible men of the known world wanted to marry her. The highest bidder and eventual winner was the elderly King of France. Mary was married to him for some months before he died and was returned to England. Mary fell in love with the dashing friend of her brother, Charles Brandon and married him. Despite a few fines and threats, they lived happily together until Mary died.
Elizabeth of York: Elizabeth was daughter of a relatively new dynasty. She was the daughter of a love match between Elizabeth Woodville and Edward IV. Elizabeth was one of the most beautiful and learned princesses in the world at the time. When her family fell from grace, she lived in a dingy sanctuary beneath Westminster Abbey. There are RUMOURS (which I don’t believe, cause I stan Richard III, fight me hoes) that her uncle planned to marry her but along came Henry VII across the sea to marry her and cast down her evil uncle. This story is highly stylized through Tudor propaganda. Much of it may not be so smooth and unfortunately, nobody bothered to ask Elizabeth how she felt about it all.
Cleopatra Selene, Princess of the Nile, Queen of Maurentia: Cleopatra Selene was the daughter of Mark Antony and Cleopatra VII. In her youth, her parents made the mistake of antagonizing the might of Rome. After her parents committed suicide, Cleopatra Selene was carried back to Rome to be raised by the new Emperor’s sister and her stepmother. Her elder brother was murdered fleeing from Rome and her twin brother vanished (hem, hem, see: Murdered) Cleopatra Selene was married to another of Rome’s wards, Juba of Maurentia. The two remained vassals to Rome and lived happily away ever after. Cleopatra Selene was renowned as a beautiful and well learned woman in the Ancient World.
Princess Elizabeth Windsor: Now, Queen Liz II of England, the princess was not always meant to be queen. She came to her new role as heir fairly young and at the beginnings of WWII. Elizabeth or Lilibet, was always mindful of her duty and place she would one day occupy. She served in WWII as a mechanic and found her prince in Prince Philip. They have been married for decades.
The Warrior
Some princesses are born outside the classical view of life. These princesses fight for what is theirs. Some may become bad queens and some will become good queens.
Caterina Sforza, Duchess de Forli: Caterina was the bastard daughter of the Duke of Milan. She received a very strange kind of education for a girl in those days. In those days, the Pope was a Spaniard who nobody liked much. Caterina was very much opposed to the Pope, so much that she rode at the head of an army while pregnant to oppose him. When trapped in her castle by the Pope’s son, Cesere Borgia, he threatened to kill her children. Caterina flashed him and said that she had the means to make more. Sadly the castle fell and Cesere won.
Catalina of Aragon, Queen Catherine of England: Catalina was raised in an army camp in Spain whilst her parents fought the Moors. Here she learned the ways of battle and war, never shrinking from her duty. After she became queen, Catalina was left alone to run the country while her useless cock of a husband was playing at war in France. When the Scots encroached on England, Catalina rode forth and smashed them in a bloody battle that claimed the life of The King of Scots. Later on, Henry VIII was stated to say that he was afraid that she would raise arms against him and smash him in battle.
Princess Pingyang: Pingyang was the daughter of Li Yuan, founder the Tang dynasty. As her father rebelled to gain the throne, Pingyang raised an army to help her father rather than sit at home. Pingyang conquered Huxian County and destroyed two armies in Shaanxi. she was the first woman to ever be honoured Marshal.
The Willful
These princesses are not your pets. They will raise hell to get their chance of happiness. They are mostly heroes in their stories.
Christina of Denmark, Duchess of Milan: Christina was the daughter of Isabella of Austria and Christian II of Denmark. Despite one turbulent and strange childhood, Christina grew into a clever beauty. Her uncle the Spanish Emperor Charles V married her off to Francesco Sforza, Duke of Milan, a man 26 older than the twelve year old princess. Two years later her husband was dead and Christina was sent to the Netherlands. Henry VIII cane sniffing and Christina shut him down with a burn that he would never recover from, “If I had two heads, I would gladly give him one" Christina married the Duke of Lorraine and lived happily with him.
Diana Spencer, Princess of Wales: Diana is the Princess. The People’s princess. Married to the Prince of Wales, Diana seemed to be living the dream. Her husband was in love with his mistress Camilla. After years of marriage, the two divorced. Diana became more outspoken and beloved. She championed numerous causes to support sufferers of HIV, hunger and walked through war zones to prove points. Diana defied the royals in a million different ways forcing them to change the way they approached the public and others. Diana was killed in a fatal car crash in Paris, still mourned by millions.
Princess Margaret Rose, Countess of Snowden: Margaret was the sister to present Queen of England, Elizabeth II. Renowned for being the more engaging and willful of the girls, Margaret was the OG wild child of the present royal families. Margaret fell in love with photographer Peter Townsend and sought to marry him. When the engagement was vetoed, Margaret was heartbroken. She married but it wasn’t a marriage of love. Margaret continued to be the wild child even rumoured to have a romantic involvement with many notable stars of the day.
Julia the Elder: Julia was the daughter of Augustus, mother the heirs, Lucius and Gaius, and wife of future emperor, Tiberius. She was arrested for adultery and treason. She lost her husband and freedom and was exiled to an island to live with any men and wine.
The Tragic
Some princesses do not find their happily ever after. Some will die young or live horrid lives. Most of these princesses will not evolve into queens but remain trapped as princesses.
Charlotte, Princess of Wales: Charlotte was the only child of George IV and Queen Caroline, conceived quickly into their marriage. Her parents loved her but hated one another leading for an unbalanced kind of childhood. Charlotte was second in line to the throne. She was perhaps one of only members of the royal family that the public actually liked. Charlotte was seen as the only hope of the dynasty. A desired bride everywhere, Charlotte chose to marry a low German Prince, the future King Leopold II of Belgium. The couple fell madly in love and soon the princess was pregnant. Charlotte died delivering a son who also died. She was a queen who was meant to be but never was.
Olga, Tatiana, Marie, Anastasia Romanov, Grand Duchesses of Imperial Russia: The four beloved daughters of the Tsar of Russia and his wife. OTMA as they like to be known as, lived a privileged life in the palaces of Russia while many of their father’s people starved. Olga was the eldest and said to be the most like her father, a thoughtful and deep young lady. Tatiana was the bossiest of the sisters and the most assertive. Marie was the kindest and gentlest. Anastasia was the wildest, most prone to joking than being a lady. When WWI came, Olga and Tatiana trained and worked as nurses in one of the many converted palaces of Russia. Marie and Anastasia often entertained the soldiers. The Bolshevik Revolution tore through Russia and soon, the royals were imprisoned. Taken to the basement of the ominously named House of Special Purpose in the dark of a summer night in 1918, the four girls and their family were gunned down and killed. Their bodies were destroyed in acid before being dumped. None survived.
Mary and Elizabeth Tudor, Bastard Princesses: Both daughters of Henry VIII, neither had a good run as princess. Mary was once called the Pearl of Henry’s world but when her mother couldn’t provide a male heir, she was casted off. Ripped away from her mother, she was put in the household of her new sister who was now the only princess of England. When Elizabeth’s mother fell, she was stripped of her title and status. At one point she outgrew all her clothes and Henry did not replace them. Mary helped raise her sister and the two were close. When they were placed in the line of succession and their brother died, Mary became queen. Religion proved a divide. Mary’s world had a dark and bloody end. She once imprisoned Elizabeth in the Tower under the threat of death. Elizabeth overcame her tragic princess phase and became the good queen.
