Disney just redefined what it means to be a modern-day princess
LONDON -- Once upon a time, Disney princesses were best known for their picture-perfect good looks, their pretty dresses and their inevitable happy endings alongside a handsome prince.
But, what does it mean to be a princess in 2016?
Disney has teamed up with thousands of British parents to figure out the traits of a modern-day princess in order to make its heroines relevant, modern role models.
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Disney commissioned parenting expert Judy Reith to analyse the characteristics of Disney princesses, from Tangled's Rapunzel to Belle from Beauty and the Beast.
A long list of the princesses' attributes and principles were put to a panel of 5,000 parents who were asked to rank the qualities they deemed most relevant and important to their 6- to 12-year-old daughters. The number one principle of a modern princess, according to parents, was "care for others", followed by "live healthily" at number two and "don't judge a book by its cover" at number three.
The top 10 principles of being a modern princess are:
Care for others
Live healthily
Don’t judge a book by its cover
Be honest
Be a friend you can trust
Believe in yourself
Right wrongs
Try your best
Be loyal
Never give up
The initiative comes after many calls for Disney to make its princesses more inclusive, empowering and relevant. YouTube blogger Loey Lane recently launched a campaign calling on Disney to create a plus-size princess, and earlier this year Frozen fans used the hashtag #GiveElsaAGirlfriend to encourage Disney to feature an LGBTQ princess in the movie's sequel.
Parents also ranked real-life female role models for young girls that they deem to be most inspirational and empowering. At the top of the poll is Michelle Obama, followed by the Duchess of Cambridge and Olympic gold medalist Jessica Ennis-Hill.
"Many young girls dream of being a Disney princess so it is exciting to be part of an initiative that defines exactly what that means. The results make clear that being a ‘princess’ is not just about titles, tiaras or marrying a Prince, but about emulating Cinderella’s courage, Merida’s heroism and Snow White’s generosity," Reith, a researcher on the project, said in a statement emailed to Mashable.
"I hope the principles will encourage a whole new generation of girls to care for others, try their best and to believe in themselves," Reith continued.
The ideals have been turned into posters by three top UK illustrators -- Kate Moross, Rose Blake and Kate Forrester -- and are being made available at no cost to young girls across the nation.
Topics Disney Family & Parenting
Rachel Thompson is the Features Editor at Mashable. Rachel's second non-fiction book The Love Fix: Reclaiming Intimacy in a Disconnected World is out now, published by Penguin Random House in Jan. 2025. The Love Fix explores why dating feels so hard right now, why we experience difficult emotions in the realm of love, and how we can change our dating culture for the better.
A leading sex and dating writer in the UK, Rachel has written for GQ, The Guardian, The Sunday Times Style, The Telegraph, Cosmopolitan, Glamour, Stylist, ELLE, The i Paper, Refinery29, and many more.
Rachel's first book Rough: How Violence Has Found Its Way Into the Bedroom And What We Can Do About It, a non-fiction investigation into sexual violence was published by Penguin Random House in 2021.
