Princess
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Princess is the feminine form of prince (from Latin princeps, meaning principal citizen). Most often, the term has been used for the consort of a prince, or her daughters, women whose station in life depended on their relationship to a prince and who could be disowned and stripped of the title if he so chose.
For many centuries, the title "princess" was not regularly used for a monarch's daughter, who might simply be called "Lady" or a non-English equivalent.
As women have slowly gained more autonomy through European history, the title of princess has become simply the female counterpart of prince and does not necessarily imply being controlled or owned by a prince. In some cases then, a princess is the female hereditary head of state of a province or other significant area in her own right. The ancient meaning applies in Europe still to the extent that a female commoner who marries a prince will almost always become a princess, but a male commoner who marries a princess will almost never become a prince. The implication is that if the man held the equivalent masculine title, he would have rank over his wife without the necessary pedigree.
In many of Europe's royal families, a king would grant his heirs actual or theoretical principalities to train them for future kingship or to give them social rank. This practice has led over time to many people thinking that "prince" and "princess" are titles reserved for the immediate family of a king or queen. In fact, most princesses in history were not immediate members of a royal family but women who married into it. However there were many cases where a princess would choose someone outside of royalty to wed.
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[edit] Historical princesses
- Princess Caraboo, actually a British woman of modest means who for a while passed herself off as an exotic island princess.
- Diana, Princess of Wales
- Grace Kelly, wife of Prince Rainier of Monaco
- Kaiulani of Hawaii
- Marie Thérèse Louise de Savoie-Carignan, princesse de Lamballe, companion to Marie Antoinette, Queen of France
- Yonit Shames Princess of the Hebrew-Gregorian groups of modern chants. She is also the official founder of the underground movement against the Blattodea order.
- Sayyida Salme (a.k.a. Emily Ruete) (1844-1924), Princess of Zanzibar and Oman
- Sisi, Elisabeth, Duchess in Bavaria and Empress Consort of Austria
- Pocahontas, an Algonquian Indian, the daughter of Powhatan, has been considered a princess for centuries. However, many people question whether or not this is historically accurate.
- Anastasia Romanov of Russia.
[edit] Present day princesses
- Belgium: Mathilde, Elisabeth, Astrid, Luisa Maria, Maria Laura, Laetitia Maria, Claire Louise, Princess Lea, Princess Marie-Christine and Princess Maria Esmerelda.
- UK and Commonwealth Realms: Anne, Alexandra, Camilla, Sophie, Beatrice, Eugenie, Louise (styled as "Lady" although legally a princess), Katharine, Birgitte and Marie-Christine.
- Burundi: Esther Kamatari, an émigrée of 35 years, who is returning to Burundi to campaign as a potential president.
- Japan: Masako, Aiko, Kiko, Kako, Mako, Hanako, Yuriko, Nobuko, Akiko, Yohko, Hisako, Princess Tsuguko, Noriko and Ayako.
- Jordan: Basma bint Talal, an international advocate for children and women, HRH Princess Haya bint Hussein, HRH Princess Sana Asem, HRH Princess Noor bint Asem bin Nayef, HRH Princess Salha bint Asem Bin Nayef.
- Liechtenstein: Marie Aglaë, Sophie, Marie-Caroline, Angela, Marie, Georgina, Tatjana, Isabelle, Margaretha, Maria-Annunciata, Marie-Astrid and Nora.
- Luxembourg: Alexandra, Marie Astrid, Marie Gabrielle, Sibilla, Charlotte, Elisabeth and Alix.
- Monaco: Antoinette, Caroline, and Stéphanie.
- Morocco: Lalla Salma, Lalla Khadija, Lalla Asma, Lalla Hasna, and Lalla Meryem.
- Netherlands: Máxima, Catharina-Amalia, Alexia, Laurentien, Mabel, Margriet, Marilene, Annette, Anita and Aimée.
- Norway: Mette-Marit, Ingrid Alexandra, Martha Louise, Ragnhild and Astrid.
- Thailand: Ubol Ratana, Bajrakitiyabha, Sirindhorn, Chulabhorn, Bejaratana, Galyani, Srirasmi and Soamsavali.
- Uganda: Elizabeth of Toro of Toro kingdom, who was the nation's first female lawyer, a former top model for couturiers, and a former minister and ambassador in the government of Idi Amin.
- Greece: Marie-Chantal, Maria Olympia, Alexia, Theodora and Irene.
Note: Although Bulgaria, Greece and Romania are Republics following the abolition of their Monarchies, these titles are granted as courtesy.
[edit] Fictional princesses
- Xena isn't actually a princess but is known by the epithet "warrior princess"
- Anya Smith- Oscar winning role for Audrey Hepburn in the film Roman Holiday
- Cagalli Yula Athha from Mobile Suit Gundam Seed and Mobile Suit Gundam Seed Destiny
- Diana of the Amazons, better known as Wonder Woman
- Emeraude from Magic Knight Rayearth
- Princess Adora of Eternia, better known as She-Ra
- Ariel, Aurora, Belle, Cinderella, Jasmine, and Snow White (see Disney Princesses)
- Leia Organa of Alderaan (from Star Wars)
- Princess Kalasin in the Kingdom of Tortall books
- Eilonwy from the Chronicles of Prydain
- Ozma, ruler of the land of Oz
- Perdita from Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale
- Goneril, Regan, and Cordelia, the daughters of Shakespeare's King Lear
- Garnet Til Alexandros, Final Fantasy IX
- Marle/Princess Nadia from the video game Chrono Trigger
- Princess Schala, also from Chrono Trigger
- Princess Zelda, namesake character from the popular Nintendo video game, The Legend of Zelda
- Peach and Daisy of the Super Mario universe
- Ayeka and Sasami from Tenchi Muyo!
- San from Princess Mononoke
- Princess Serenity and Chibiusa from Sailor Moon
- Hana from Ojamajo Doremi series
- Mermaid Princesses of Mermaid Melody Pichi Pichi Pitch
- Princess Melisande in Edith Nesbit's children's story Melisande (or Long and Short Measure)
- Princess Irene in The Princess and the Goblin and The Princess and Curdie by George Macdonald
- Hoshino Ruri in Martian Successor Nadesico is the Princess of Peaceland
- Princess Fiona from Shrek
- Mia Thermopolis, princess of Genovia in The Princess Diaries
- Princess Buttercup in The Princess Bride
- Princess Clara from Drawn Together
- Princess Kitana of Edenia from Mortal Kombat
- Haramis, Kadiya and Anigel, the three princesses of Ruwenda, from the Trillium series
- Princess Ruto from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
- Midna from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
- Princess Genevieve (and her sisters) from Barbie in the 12 Dancing Princesses
- Princess Annaliese from Barbie in the Princess and the Pauper
- Princess Comet from the anime series of the same name (along with Princess Meteor)
- Princess Elise in Sonic the Hedgehog
- Princess Azula from Avatar: The Last Airbender
- Ali Princess of Norn Iron
- Princess Ashelia B'nargin Dalmasca (Ashe), heroine of Final Fantasy XII
- Princess Sally Acorn from the Sonic the Hedgehog series
- Princess Selenia from Arthur and the Minimoys
- Princess Starfire of Teen Titans (comics and animated series)
- Princess ECS of New Hyde Park
- Princess Alyss of The Looking Glass Wars
- Princess Rachel of Bournemoth
- Lenna (or Reina) Charlotte Tycoon of Final Fantasy V
- Sarsa (or Salsa) Charlotte Tycoon of Final Fantasy V
- Cara (or Krile) Mire Baldesion of Final Fantasy V
- Princess Natalia L.K Landvaldear of Tales of the Abyss
[edit] Other uses of the term
Widely used as a term of endearment, "princess" has also devolved in mostly American usage to mean any woman of exceptional popularity, such as the "princesses" of high school prom courts and beauty pageants. The term can also be used disparagingly to refer to a young woman perceived of as being vain.
Yet another take on the rising popularity of being a "princess" is the gentleness and refined composure associated with the title. It often conjures images of elegance and self-control, and among the younger generations, is a depiction of all things feminine and lovely. In popular culture, the sterotypically ideal relationship between a father and daughter consists of the father considering his daughter to be his own "little princess."
