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6[[quoteright:350:[[WesternAnimation/{{Cinderella}} https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/cinderella_shoe.png]]]]
7
8->''The prince went to meet her, took her by the hand and danced with her. He would dance with no other maiden, and never left loose of her hand, and if any one else came to invite her, he said, "This is my partner."''
9-->-- '''Creator/TheBrothersGrimm''', "[[http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/cinderella/stories/german.html Aschenputtel,"]] or "Literature/{{Cinderella}}."
10
11What comes to mind when we think of a prince?
12
13He's an [[BlueBlood aristocrat]] with a [[TheCharmer magnetic personality]], probably dashing, brave, gallant, and kind, a true prince. In {{Fairy Tale}}s, he often rescues the DamselInDistress and marries her to live HappilyEverAfter. If he's saving himself for his [[PrincessClassic true princess]] he'll be her CelibateHero but if he's more interested in [[IdleRich impressing the ladies with his father's money]], he's a MillionairePlayboy.
14
15Except, actually, all the princes in those tales were very seldom named. It was simply a "prince" or "king" or [[BlueBlood royalty]] of some sort. And when they did have names, they were commonplace names: John, Ivan, Jean, Hans, etc.
16
17The term Prince Charming actually originates from an 1889 translation of ''Le roi Charmant'', the Charming King, and then a year later the phrase "Prince Charming" was used in ''Literature/ThePictureOfDorianGray''.
18
19The term stuck.
20
21Nowadays, the classic Prince Charming is [[DeadHorseTrope almost never used]], possibly because the {{Ruritania}}s which he often hailed from have largely abandoned monarchy, or joined the EU. The trope has been subverted, double subverted, inverted, averted, diverted, converted, and perverted (and ridiculed, but that's nothing to be scared of). Nowadays, he's more likely to be PrinceCharmless -- [[{{Jerkass}} rude]], {{smug|Snake}}, or [[TheEvilPrince evil]] -- or at least [[ShelteredAristocrat naive]], unmotivated, or [[RoyalBrat self-centered]].
22
23It's only the rarest of instances where he can be played straight and [[Administrivia/TropesAreTools done right]]. And under those circumstances he will be given his own name, and not called Prince Charming. (Anyone actually ''named'' "Prince Charming" is guaranteed to be a subversion). When he does have charm he can be found practicing OldSchoolChivalry. In most instances, he will start out with some flaws and undergo CharacterDevelopment until he earns the title.
24
25The term can also be used metaphorically for a PrincelyYoungMan: a youth with OldMoney bearing and manners. Contrast the bad boy charm of AllGirlsWantBadBoys.
26
27The SpearCounterpart to PrincessClassic and ground zero for any PrincelyTropes.
28
29Compare TheWisePrince, KnightInShiningArmour. Subject to the ErmineCapeEffect.
30
31In terms of the ranks of AuthorityTropes, the tropes that are equal are TheEvilPrince, PrinceCharmless, WarriorPrince, ShelteredAristocrat, TheWisePrince, and all PrincessTropes. The next steps down are TheGoodChancellor, StandardRoyalCourt and DecadentCourt. The next steps up are TheCaligula, TheGoodKing, GodSaveUsFromTheQueen and TheHighQueen.
32
33----
34!!Examples:
35[[foldercontrol]]
36
37[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
38* In ''Manga/CandyCandy'', there is the mysterious "Prince from the Hill", a handsome young man dressed in a kilt, who makes Candy smile again when she was sad, and then vanishes in the into thin air, leaving only pendant with a small bell as the only evidence of his existence. [[spoiler:In the last episode of the series is finally revealed that the prince was Albert, who was also Candy´s MysteriousProtector "Uncle" William.]] Anthony (From the same series) also may count. [[spoiler:In fact, the first time Candy meets Anthony, she thought that he was her "Prince from the Hill" since both had a similar appearance and personality.]]
39* In ''Manga/ACertainScientificRailgun'', Misaki Shokohou comments that whenever Touma Kamijou saves people, he looks like a gallant prince.
40* ''Manga/FruitsBasket'', Yuki is called this by schoolmates who are ignorant of his traumatic past and problematic family relationships.
41* Fate's tendency to [[BigDamnHeroes rescue Nanoha in the nick of time]] throughout the franchise of ''Franchise/LyricalNanoha'' has prompted their voice actresses to joke that Fate is Nanoha's prince. Gender inverted in that Fate is female, but then again, [[LesYay so is Nanoha]]. ''Manga/MagicalGirlLyricalNanohaINNOCENT'', having kicked the ShipTease between the two up, has another character flat out state this. Nanoha's response is to [[LuminescentBlush blush heavily]].
42%%* ''Anime/MobileSuitGundam:'' Is his zaku three times as fast as a normal zaku?
43* In ''Manga/MonthlyGirlsNozakiKun'', the Drama Club often makes drama featuring characters of this type, usually {{cross cast|Role}} by [[{{Bifauxnen}} Kashima]]. Her participation in this kind of role earns her {{epithet}}, "the Prince of the School."
44%%* ''Manga/{{Negima}}'': The anime has Fate, playing it straight just to make Negi jealous.
45* This is Tamaki's schtick in ''Manga/OuranHighSchoolHostClub'' - a [[{{Bishonen}} dashing]], flirtatious [[EveryoneLooksSexierIfFrench half-French]] charmer who girls line up to swoon over.
46* ''Anime/PokemonTheSeries'': James of Team Rocket has shades of this, with a little GentlemanThief for good measure. Given that he's from a rich, affluent family, it sort of fits. It's more obvious in the Japanese motto, where he uses the line "Lovely, charming villains" to describe himself and his teammates.
47* ''Anime/PrincessTutu'''s overall aim in fixing [[EmotionlessGirl Mytho's]] [[HeartTrauma broken heart]] is to turn him back into this.
48* ''Anime/RevolutionaryGirlUtena'':
49** Utena aspires to be this, though she combines it part-and-parcel with KnightInShiningArmor. She in turn draws inspiration to be this from the enigmatic Prince Dios, who she barely remembers rescuing her from her sorrow after losing her parents. The Student Council (''sans'' [[AlphaBitch Nanami]]) also exhibit various Prince Charming subtropes, [[PrinceCharmless though they all fall short]].
50** [[spoiler: While it's not immediately obvious, ''Utena'' pokes a ''lot'' of holes applying this trope to real life. By the end, the show makes it clear that [[{{Deconstruction}} the Prince archetype should neither be sought nor emulated, as it's almost impossible to achieve and completely unsustainable even then]]. Case-in-point: Prince Dios was a PhysicalGod with the power to revolutionize the world, and ''even he crumbled beneath the strain of embodying male perfection''.]]
51%%* Endymion/Mamoru/Tuxedo Kamen of ''Franchise/SailorMoon''; particularly in the [[Manga/SailorMoon manga]] but generally fits this role in any of the franchise's incarnations.
52* In ''Manga/ShesMyKnight'', Ichinose ''thinks'' he's this trope, but [[{{Bifauxnen}} Mogami]] outshines him at every turn (and he falls for her).
53
54[[/folder]]
55
56[[folder:Comic Books]]
57* Bill Willingham's comic book ''ComicBook/{{Fables}}'' (about characters from fairy tales living in secret in New York) has Prince Charming, who was married three times, to Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, and Cinderella. He's a bit of a MagnificentBastard and eventually becomes [[spoiler:Mayor of Fabletown]]. Deconstructed as well, in that the effortless charmer is an absolute master at ''getting'' what he wants, but actually putting in the hard work to ''keep'' it is another matter entirely. He ends up [[spoiler: failing horribly as mayor and resigning, and instead leading the Fabletown war effort against the Adversary, where his personal daring, intense focus on goals, and excellent mind for XanatosSpeedChess over longterm [[TheChessmaster chessmastering]] make him extremely successful]].
58* ''ComicBook/YoungAvengers'': ComicBook/{{Loki}} suggests that Hulkling is really this, having been created by his boyfriend Wiccan's RealityWarper powers to subconsciously fulfill his fantasy of meeting and falling in love with this type of character. He points out the improbability of a gay teenage boy meeting, and perfectly matching, a gay alien prince. Of course, this is coming from [[ConsummateLiar Loki]], and both Hulkling and Wiccan were listed as part of the Avengers Fail-Safe Program, being descendants of prior members of ''ComicBook/TheAvengers''. Prodigy dismisses it as "existential nonsense", and eventually Hulkling even acknowledges there's no way [[IneptMage Wiccan at that point]] could've done it.
59* The MirrorUniverse counterpart of [[spoiler:King Sombra]] from ''ComicBook/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicIDW'' is the trope played very much straight.
60* The Queen of Fables thinks that ComicBook/{{Superman}} is Prince Charming and wants to either kill him or marry him. Maybe both.
61[[/folder]]
62
63[[folder:Fairy Tales]]
64* "Literature/{{Tattercoats}}": The prince runs into a poor, rag-wearing goose girl walking around barefoot and begs her to marry with him. When Tattercoats tells him to stop mocking her, the prince asks her to go to the court so he can prove his sincerity by presenting her as his bride to everybody.
65[[/folder]]
66
67[[folder:Fan Works]]
68* ''Fanfic/ChildOfTheStorm'' has Harry, who, though a little overwhelmed by his new status as a Prince of Asgard (Thor was James Potter. ItMakesSenseInContext), ticks every box. However, he's initially a dorky variant of TheCharmer, though he gets ''much'' smoother over the first and second book - something hinted to have a lot to do with growing self-confidence and observation of his father, Loki, Tony, and Natasha. He is still a complete dork [[ShipTease around Carol, however.]]
69** Thor, of course, though a little less polished and urbane than the below-mentioned Loki.
70** Loki, sort of. Perfectly charming in an urbane fashion and perfectly pleasant after his HeelFaceTurn a couple of years prior... but he's also TheSpymaster, a MagnificentBastard with few equals and [[ReformedButNotTamed capable of letting his inner monster out on special occasions]], somewhat subverting this.
71* In ''Fanfic/DividedRainbow'', Rarity's favorite pet name for Lero Michealides is 'my sweet prince.'
72* ''WebVideo/UltraFastPony'' subverts this ''without'' invoking PrinceCharmless. Prince Blueblood is handsome royalty and a perfect gentlestallion. Unfortunately, the heroine Rarity has a mile-wide masochistic streak, so she ''wants'' a prince who will boss her around and hurt her. Rarity loses interest in Prince Blueblood because he's too nice.
73[[/folder]]
74
75[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
76* ''WesternAnimation/{{Charming}}'': Played with, as the prince's "charm" is part of a curse -- as long as it's in effect, no woman can love anyone other than him. The central plot revolves around him trying to get rid of his charm, only to get the real non-magical version in the process.
77* Franchise/DisneyAnimatedCanon: Even though the movies have never used the name Prince Charming, this trope is still quite common.
78** The princes in ''WesternAnimation/SnowWhiteAndTheSevenDwarfs'', ''WesternAnimation/{{Cinderella}}'', and ''WesternAnimation/SleepingBeauty'' are often referred to as such. Snow White's prince is simply "the Prince", although she does refer to him as ''being'' charming. Sleeping Beauty's prince is the only one given a real name, Prince Phillip. Later merchandise and such identifies "Prince Charming" specifically as Cinderella's prince, though in the film he's only ever referred to as "The Prince" or "The Noble Prince". It should be noted that in ''Snow White'' and ''Cinderella'' the prince does little more than show up and be royal, while Phillip due to his extended screen time comes the closest to actually portraying this trope (complete with his BigDamnHeroes moment at the climax).
79** ''WesternAnimation/TheLittleMermaid1989'': Eric is one of the last examples of this trope being played straight in Western media. Notably, unlike the Princes from ''Sleeping Beauty'' or ''Snow White'', he is a well-developed character.
80** Notably in light of the above, the Princes in subsequent Disney films play with the trope in various ways, and have even come to subvert it quite forcefully. They may refuse their royal duties ([[WesternAnimation/TheLionKing1994 Simba]]), be jerks at first though they later [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold improve]] ([[WesternAnimation/BeautyAndTheBeast Beast]], [[WesternAnimation/TheEmperorsNewGroove Kuzco]]), start off as commoners who rise to the status of prince through marriage (WesternAnimation/{{Aladdin}}, [[WesternAnimation/{{Tangled}} Flynn Rider]]), appear charming but turn out to be a womanizing ManChild ([[WesternAnimation/ThePrincessAndTheFrog Naveen]]), or even [[spoiler:the BigBad]] ([[WesternAnimation/Frozen2013 Hans]]).
81* ''Franchise/{{Shrek}}'': Inverted in the sequels, as Prince Charming is vain, selfish, a sissy coward and in ''WesternAnimation/ShrekTheThird'', [[TheEvilPrince evil]].
82[[/folder]]
83
84[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
85* There is a ''Princess'' Charming In Jerry Lewis’s ''Film/{{Cinderfella}}''. The [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinderfella movie's]] plot is partially Cinderella gender-swapped, and the stepmother throws the ball. It being the 1960s, Princess Charming (yes, that's her actual name), plays straight most of the Charming and Classic tropes.
86* Kit, the prince in ''Film/{{Cinderella 2015}}'', is a rare example in a modern film played straight. Though there is a slight subversion in that he [[spoiler: must learn how to be a competent ruler once his father dies]] and does end the story [[spoiler:as a king]].
87* Prince Edward from ''Film/{{Enchanted}}'' is Prince Charming PlayedForLaughs. He's good-natured, handsome, and heroic, but he's kind of thick. And it turns out he's not the right man for Giselle--but when he realizes this, he gallantly steps aside for her true prince.
88* ''Film/IntoTheWoods'':
89** Cinderella's prince is an ExactWords version. Specifically he's TheCharmer:
90--> "I was raised to be charming, not sincere."
91** His younger brother gets AdaptationalHeroism from the stage show, staying faithful to Rapunzel and even searching for her while blind. He's a little more clumsy and dorky than Cinderella's prince though.
92* ''Film/KateAndLeopold'' has Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany who writes the best apology letter in the history of mankind.
93* ''{{Film/Maleficent}}'' features the aforementioned Prince Philip, but the main subversion is that [[spoiler: his kiss doesn't wake Aurora up]]. Nonetheless all other parts of the trope are played straight and the two are implied to end up together.
94* ''Film/MirrorMirror'' is one of the very few modern movies based on fairy tales which play this trope almost completely straight with Andrew Alcott, a character with most of the usual Prince Charming traits.
95* In the Czech movie ''Byl jednou jeden král'' (''Once upon a time there was a king'', an adaptation of the fairy tale ''Salt over gold'') there are three princes who came to the kingdom as suitors for the three princesses: Prince Charming [[note]]who claims to be THE Prince Charming who rescued the Sleeping Beauty and the Snow White (but, contrary to what the fairy tales say, he didn't marry them)[[/note]], Prince Valiant, and Prince Cunning. They are all braggarts and cowards, and eventually they help themselves to the royal treasure - while the three princesses, as well as the king himself, get married to commoners in the end.
96* Played straight in the movie ''Film/ThePrinceAndMe'' as Prince Edvard goes from having a girl on each arm to "Eddie" who quotes Creator/WilliamShakespeare like some [[BuffySpeak duke-lord guy.]]
97* Played straight in ''Film/PrinceCharming'', a 2001 made-for-television film starring Creator/SeanMaguire. It is the story of a prince who gets turned into a frog due to dashingly rescuing a damsel in distress, who starts trying to [[RescueSex reward him]].
98* ''Film/ThePrincessDiaries2RoyalEngagement'': Andrew Jacoby is an English duke[[note]]the next step down from actual princehood[[/note]] but fits the part in all other aspects. He's an Oxbridge-educated young man who does volunteer work and photography, has experience as a military pilot, and is apparently a champion swimmer. He's nothing but kind and understanding to Mia and accepts that a MarriageOfConvenience with her won't all be smooth sailing.
99* Subverted in ''Film/SnowWhiteAndTheHuntsman'' as the prince has become an ActionSurvivor due to the queen's tyrannical rule. He also becomes an [[spoiler: UnluckyChildhoodFriend]] to Snow White - but is still presented as a good guy.
100* While ''Film/SnowWhiteAndTheThreeStooges'' almost squandered the leads, the prince had [[AdaptationExpansion a greatly expanded role]] compared to the actual fairy tale.
101[[/folder]]
102
103[[folder:Literature]]
104* Played with in ''Literature/ABrothersPrice'': Prince Alannon was a dignified, quiet-spoken man, who was very handsome and liked to take regular baths. Very charming. However, his [[ExoticExtendedMarriage marriage]] to the protagonist's grandmothers came about not by him rescuing one of them, but by his being ''kidnapped'' by them. He eventually seems to have consented to marry them, which is not such a big surprise considering that the best he could have hoped for would have been an ArrangedMarriage, if not imprisonment or death, since his branch of the family was on the losing side of the war. And they ''did'' build him a bathhouse.
105* Justified in the contemporary book ''Dream Boy'' written by Ann Reit, which stars a charming, but immature teenager who learned it from his father.
106* ''Literature/EllaEnchanted'' exaggerates this. The prince's name is Charmont, which is sorta like Charming and borders on ''charmant'', which is [[BilingualBonus French for "charming"]] and comes from the FairyTale "Literature/TheBlueBird" where the hero was called ''Le Roi Charmant'' ("the charming king"). He prefers to be called Char, though.
107* ''Literature/EndoAndKobayashiLive The Latest on Tsundere Villainess Lieselotte'' is a variation of the RebornAsVillainessStory, where the prince fiances of the titular "[[AlphaBitch villainess]]" often have [[PrinceCharmless some glaring personality flaws]], ranging from BrokenAce at the most sympathetic to RoyalBrat at the least. His initial misunderstanding of Lieselotte's {{Tsundere}} behaviour aside, Prince Siegwald is one of the few cases that don't. This is probably due to it having a different PointOfView than the formula; whereas the mold place the point of view to the universe the prince is in, ''Endo and Kobayashi Live!'' puts the point of view on the ''other side'' of the FourthWall: two {{Ordinary High School Student}}s {{MST}}ing a RomanceGame where Siegwald is one of the romance targets.
108* Deconstructed in ''Literature/TheFolkOfTheAir.'' Prince Dain at first appears this way. He’s a kind, handsome, golden-haired, knight. He is one of the few fae to be kind and respectful towards the main character, and acts as a mentor towards her. [[spoiler: In reality, he has worked to create this image in order to gain the favor of the court and his father. Additionally, he uses this image of honor and kindness in order to trick others. The favoritism from his father and the court has only furthered his entitlement to the throne, and he will do anything to ensure he inherits the throne after his father. This includes framing a child for murder and murdering his lover.]]
109* In ''Literature/GunsOfTheDawn'', Luthrian IV of Lascanne, although a king rather than a prince, fits this archetype — young, handsome, unmarried, and a good dancer — as Emily personally discovers. He's widely hailed by his adoring subjects as TheGoodKing, too — [[spoiler:but isn't]].
110* ''The Hero's Guide To Saving Your Kingdom'' by Chris Healy takes this trope and runs all over the map with it. The princes of four different fairy tales (Cinderella, Rapunzel, Sleeping Beauty and Snow White) get the short end of the stick when their stories are popularized because everyone remembers the princesses' names, but their names (Fredrick, Gustav, Liam and Duncan respectively) are lost and are just called "Charming", even though all four are radically different people. They eventually team up and become a league of Princes Charming.
111%%* Prince Kai from ''Literature/TheLunarChronicles: Cinder''.
112* Given how soon it was written after the term originated, ''Literature/ThePictureOfDorianGray'' is likely one of the first subversions. Dorian is called this by [[WideEyedIdealist extremely naive]] [[TheIngenue actress]] Sybil who he seduces and abandons, driving her to suicide. Another lover also apparently called him this, and uses the nickname scornfully when he encounters her several years later as a prostitute.
113* Played straight in ''Literature/TheRoyalDiaries''
114** ''Elisabeth: The Princess Bride'' where Emperor Franz Joseph I was able to win over Elisabeth because she considered him to be playful, considerate and charming.
115** In ''Isabel: Jewel of Castilla'' where it takes less than two hours for Fernando, Prince of Aragon and King of Sicily, to steal the princess's heart with his humor, authority and imagination.
116** Interestingly zigzagged in ''Marie Antoinette: Princess of Versailles''. At first Antonia is repulsed at fat and ugly Louis Auguste but as time goes on, he reveals that he's shy, sweet and even becomes devoted to her. While she doesn't fall in love with him, Antonia does call him her friend.
117* Creator/JohnMoore's ''Slay and Rescue'' has a [[TheAce professional hero]] who really '''is''' a prince named Charming, sent by his father's chancellor to rescue fair maidens all over the place (the theory is that it keeps him too busy to try to take over the throne). He deliberately pulls BigDamnHeroes arrivals, is a MasterSwordsman, and is very frustrated. Nonetheless, he's also basically decent.
118* ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'':
119** Prince Joffrey Baratheon is PrinceCharmless and TheCaligula, but Sansa sees him as a Prince Charming… for a while.
120** His brother Prince Tommen, however, is genuinely kind and sweet-tempered (though he's only eight). Sansa even says she would have preferred to have married Tommen.
121** Prince Rhaegar Targaryen was a ''very'' charming prince until his love for a woman he was not betrothed to incited Robert's Rebellion
122** WrongGenreSavvy Prince Quentyn Martell really ''wants'' to be a Prince Charming.
123* ''Literature/TheSunneInSplendour'': [[UsefulNotes/RichardIII Richard of Gloucester]] is a deconstruction of this. He's an idealist and a moralist, and he certainly aspires to be a Prince Charming. He relishes saving his childhood sweetheart Anne from the schemes of his brother George, becoming her KnightInShiningArmor. However, Richard also has a furious temper, is stubborn and his other brother UsefulNotes/EdwardIV observes that Richard thinks they are living in Camelot and not England. In the end, Richard's life takes a series of dark turns and doesn't prove as adept at managing his enemies as Edward was.
124* Played straight with Prince Jonathan of Tortall in ''Literature/SongOfTheLioness'' who is a lover and a fighter. And oh ''boy'' is he a [[TheCasanova lover]] - right up until he meets Thayet, anyway, and she steals his heart and his ability to speak in all of ten seconds.
125* In ''Literature/TheStormlightArchive'', Adolin Kholin displays many traits of Prince Charming: he is genuinely kind, caring, and a gallant warrior to boot, and is one of the only people to hold the full trust of his father [[spoiler:until it's revealed that it was Adolin who murdered Highprince Sadeas, that is.]] In many ways, he is also a subversion of this trope, having great difficulty with forming meaningful relationships with women. Indeed, he is a serial womanizer with a colorful dating history.
126* In Creator/TerryPratchett's ''Literature/UnseenAcademicals'', Glenda objects to Trev as Juliet's love because Juliet is special and all she needed was a prince -- and she remembers her own fantasies. [[spoiler:Juliet and Trev do end up together, and Glenda ends up with a king to be.]]
127[[/folder]]
128
129[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
130* The "Dream Prince" in ''{{Series/Akumuchan}}'' is a deliberate example of this trope. He is handsome, charming, rides a horse, and seems to exist for the sole purpose of rescuing Ayami from her troubled dreams and wooing her.
131* Imitated/played for laughs so to speak on ''Series/{{Bones}}'' "The Prince in the Plastic", which had a victim who created a doll called 'Prince Charmington' and a suspect who dressed as the doll for store openings and such.
132* In the first season of ''Series/{{Bridgerton}}'' this trope is [[InvokedTrope Invoked]] very explicitly by Queen Charlotte herself when she pressures Prince Friedrich to pursue Daphne, even though he has already concluded from Lady Whistledown's paper, and from observing her, that she is in love with Simon.
133-->'''Queen Charlotte:''' You are a Prince. Charm her.
134* In the musical episode of ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'', "Once More With Feeling", Buffy rescues a handsome prince, in an inversion of the traditional rescue scenario. He sings "How can I repay--" but Buffy cuts him off with "Whatever" given that she's in her depressed period.
135* ''{{Series/Charmed|1998}}'':
136** "A Knight To Remember" summons a prince from medieval times to San Francisco. Aside from the obvious issues of a medieval knight in 21st century California would face, he's quite charming. Of course some of this is due to him being under a love spell.
137** Mentioned in the FairyTaleMotifs episode "Happily Ever After". Paige eats Snow White's poisoned apple and it's said that a prince's kiss will free her. But thankfully once the WickedWitch that cursed her is defeated, the spell wears off. Nonetheless one of the dwarves suggests she get a prince just in case it happens again. The episode also features a love interest for Phoebe whose last name is Prince - and he serves as the prince in the Cinderella portion of the episode. But with one small difference: he's under the control of the Wicked Witch.
138** Again alluded to by Phoebe's child self, who loved Cinderella and asked if Cole was her Prince.
139* Simon Tam from ''Series/{{Firefly}}'' is not a literal prince, but he ''is'' a kind, brave, attractive young man from a wealthy, aristocratic family who insists on acting "properly" (in the OldSchoolChivalry sense) even in the worst of circumstances, making him a rare modern straight example.
140* ''Series/GameOfThrones'': Joffrey intentionally puts on this act for Sansa. It lasts for about half an episode before his true colors are revealed.
141* Justified for Logan from ''Series/GilmoreGirls'' who is his father's heir, charismatic, and quite a ladies man.
142* He appears in ''Series/GoGoSentaiBoukenger'' to any lady who wore the Glass Slipper. He then traps her in his world with the help of one of Cinderella's Stepsisters. [[spoiler: His true form is that of a monster, and he is killed off by the Boukengers.]]
143* ''Series/GossipGirl'': Nate Archibald is all but explicitly based on this trope. He is described as charming with extreme regularity, and has the tendency to fall passionately in love (with various girls) and deliver romantic speeches (occasionally hilariously out of context) while rescuing them from some emotional or social dragon. He is in the books given the epithet "prince of the upper east side" and it is said that he can "snap his fingers and have any girl he wants." If you gave him fencing lessons, he would basically be the Prince Charming from {{ComicBook/Fables}}.
144* Prince Arthur in ''Series/{{Merlin|2008}}'' (BBC) probably fits this. While he's a bit mean to his servant Merlin sometimes, when it comes to his love interest Gwen - he's this trope incarnate.
145* ''Series/OnceUponATime''
146** The main Prince James, is sarcastically (at first) [[InSeriesNickname nicknamed]] Prince Charming by his future wife, Literature/SnowWhite, when he captures her in a net. She says that he's so charming if that's the only way he can get someone. Of course she did steal from him.
147** All the princes in the series fit the trope, including Cinderella's and Sleeping Beauty's Princes. Probably a rare instance in modern television where the trope is played straight for the most part, [[spoiler:although James turns out [[RagsToRoyalty secretly not to be of legit royal blood]]]].
148** [[AvertedTrope Averted]] with [[spoiler: the actual Prince James.]] [[PrinceCharmless The guy was a dick]].
149** Robin Hood surprisingly ticks all the boxes, despite being an outlaw. But if one remembers that he is technically the Prince of *Thieves*, then it fits. [[spoiler: He's charming enough to act as the Evil Queen's SecondLove]].
150* In the season 1 finale of ''Series/SabrinaTheTeenageWitch'' Sabrina is trapped in a troll's tower (and is legally bound to be there). The only loophole in the law is that a prince can rescue her. Further LoopholeAbuse occurs when her aunts realise that Sabrina's boyfriend Harvey's father owns an extermination business and calls himself the Termite King - technically making Harvey the 'Termite Prince'. Hilda and Zelda also conjure up some princely clothes for him to wear.
151--> '''Harvey:''' I couldn't vanquish the troll wearing pants?
152** Alluded to in a season 7 episode where Sabrina turns into a literal {{Bridezilla}} (due to her obsession with having the perfect fairy tale wedding). Salem says that the only way to cure her is for a prince to slay her. In this case it's her fiancée Aaron telling her off for some of her crazy wedding ideas.
153* Prince Charming is a character in ''Series/SesameStreet'', using the same puppet as Guy Smiley and Don Music, who can be relied upon to totally mess up any fairy-tale he's involved in (he's not a PrinceCharmless, just [[LordErrorProne incompetent and not very bright]]). He also works as a dance instructor, under the name Prince Cha-Cha-Charming.
154%%* ''Series/{{Smallville}}'''s favorite millionaire playboy Lex Luthor.
155* Played straight in the ''Series/VeronicaMars'' episode "Ain't No Magic Mountain High Enough" where Logan meets Hannah who he says is "like the hot daughter of a king he marries off to get like Denmark or something."
156* Used in the finale of ''Literature/TheWorstWitch'' TV series. Mildred discovers that her drawings can come to life - which comes in handy when the other girls summon the WickedWitch from Sleeping Beauty by accident. Mildred makes her drawing of Prince Percy come to life - and his kiss wakes everyone up from their sleep. Note that this is ''individual'' kisses we're talking about; it's implied that he has to kiss the whole school.
157** The ChristmasEpisode also featured a pantomime of ''Cinderella''. Drusilla was originally cast as the prince - but after some meddling from her and Ethel, they put Charlie in the role. Fitting since Mildred is Cinderella and he's her sometimes love interest.
158* ''Series/TheWhiteQueen'': Played straight with Richard of Gloucester when he's a young man, who is a royal duke and the brother of a king, plus he's brave, chivalrous, gentle and romantic. He has a RescueRomance with Anne Neville, a DamselInDistress whom he saves twice. The first occurs when he fights off soldiers (and plays the part of a KnightInShiningArmor while doing so) who are about to gang-rape her, [[note]]she's even a Princess by her first marriage, which further adds to the almost fairy tale-like tone of their courtship[[/note]] and the second is when he offers her a way to escape George of Clarence's guardianship, as she's a prisoner in the latter's [[GildedCage residence]]. After Richard proposes marriage to Anne in a GardenOfLove [=/=] SnowMeansLove setting, he [[LoveConfession confesses the love]] that he has harboured for her since childhood, and they seal their engagement with a TrueLovesKiss. They are HappilyMarried along with BabiesEverAfter. [[note]]Technically Baby Ever After since they only have one child.[[/note]]
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161[[folder:Music]]
162* Music/AdamAndTheAnts have a song called "Prince Charming" on their album ''Music/PrinceCharming'' (1981).
163* Megan and Liz’s song “Princess Charming.”
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166[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
167* ''Franchise/MagicTheGathering'' has the card [[https://scryfall.com/card/eld/8/charming-prince Charming Prince,]] whose basis on this trope is in the name. He can help players live HappilyEverAfter (Scry 2, letting them potentially get rid of bad cards on top of their deck so they draw good ones sooner), can heal them with a TrueLovesKiss (giving them 3 life), or whisk them off on a magical evening (temporarily exiling a creature, keeping it safe from dangerous effects). His name, however, is also a pun to MTG fans: "Charms" are spells in Magic that let players choose between one of three small effects, and the Charming Prince lets the players choose between three small effects when he's played.
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170[[folder:Theater]]
171* ''Theatre/CinderellaLloydWebber'': Prince Charming is the favored son and heir of the queen, a handsome and strapping young land adored throughout the land. However, he's now vanished and the SpareToTheThrone is seen as a lame nerd in comparison.
172* ''Theatre/IntoTheWoods'' actually has ''two'' examples: there are two Prince Charmings, married to Cinderella and Rapunzel, respectively. [[spoiler:In the second act, they abandon their wives for Snow White and Sleeping Beauty.]]
173-->"I was raised to be charming[[spoiler:, not sincere.]]" - Cinderella's Prince
174* ''[[Theatre/{{Tsukiuta}} Tsukino Empire - Unleash your mind -]]'' has Shun as the second prince of the empire. He certainly is charming, enough to win over Kai to being his knight upon their first meeting. The twins from the fourth fleet are also dazzled by him.
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176
177[[folder:Video Games]]
178%%* ''VideoGame/FableIII'': The Male Hero looks like a classic example of this Trope.
179* Prince Dimitri of ''VideoGame/FireEmblemThreeHouses'' is an interesting play on this trope. He comes off as a classic example--sincere, sweet, cheerful, and even boyish at times. His looks are also fairly archetypical of a fairy tale prince with [[HairOfGoldHeartOfGold blonde hair]], big blue doe eyes, and [[{{Bishonen}} soft features.]] While he is genuinely good-natured, it's to the point that [[spoiler: he's had a thirst for vengeance and [[BloodKnight violence]] after childhood trauma, and his pristine character is a [[MaskOfSanity mask]] he wears. After the timeskip of his Blue Lions route, he's allowed himself to become HeWhoFightsMonsters, and prioritizes his revenge over his kingdom.]]
180* [[FreakyFashionMildMind Despite his infernal mode of dress]], Prince Zagreus of ''VideoGame/{{Hades}}'' is handsome, generous, soft-spoken (if [[GentlemanSnarker snarky]]), and friendly enough that it's easy to forget it's ''Hell'' he's prince of. Good thing DarkIsNotEvil.
181* [[VideoGame/KingsQuest Alexander of Daventry]] pulls this off rather nicely, especially in ''VideoGame/KingsQuestVI''. It's given a bit of a {{Deconstruction}} in ''Literature/TheKingsQuestCompanion'', though. [[BeneathTheMask Because he spent so long as a slave, he still thinks of himself as "Gwydion."]] The persona of "Alexander" is like a mask or a cloak to him.
182* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild'' has Prince Sidon of the [[FishPeople Zora]]. A handsome and extroverted NiceGuy, he is famous as a WarriorPrince who once took down a giant Octorok and also helps Link fight [[HumongousMecha Divine Beast Vah Ruta]]. He's also a ChickMagnet among the Zora women, to the point that one female Zora soldier has even organized a fan club where the ladies can collectively swoon over him.
183-->'''Tula:''' Ah... Mmm... Prince Sidon... Just thinking of you turns me to mush...
184* The game ''VideoGame/OneHundredSleepingPrincesAndTheKingdomOfDreams'' relies on the lasting appeal of this trope. It's a {{Bishounen}}-collecting puzzle game featuring actually well over a hundred princes with varying styles of charm, but all of them are meant, first and foremost, to be [[CastFullOfPrettyBoys attractive]].
185* ''VideoGame/{{Psychonauts}}'s'' official Psycho-Pedia has this to say about Lili's view of Raz:
186-->Clairvoyance reveals that Lili sees Raz as a Prince Charming-type, complete with cape, rose and slicked-back hair. [[SheIsNotMyGirlfriend But she doesn't have a crush on him. Not at all. No way.]]
187[[/folder]]
188
189[[folder:Visual Novels]]
190* Prince Lucas Charming IV from ''VisualNovel/EverAfterAcademy'' is a rare example of this being played completely straight, being noble, brave, kind, and a good leader.
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192
193[[folder:Web Animation]]
194* ''WebAnimation/IfDisneyCartoonsWereHistoricallyAccurate'': The princess's entire IWantSong is about dreaming of marrying a dashing prince (who then [[MaritalRapeLicense forcefully impregnates her]] and she [[DeathByChildbirth dies in childbirth]]). He shows up at the end... before dropping dead of ThePlague.
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197[[folder:Webcomics]]
198* ''Webcomic/GirlGenius'':
199** Gil is a kind of {{reconstruct|edTrope}}ion. The Prince Charming has often been deconstructed by making him (the heir of) a tyrant or dictator. But Gil is very good at arguing his father is the most enlightened despot in the continent, and he's probably right. Gil is also a handsome warrior who [[AlwaysSaveTheGirl always saves the girl]]; he just fails for the romantic side.
200** Another sort of reconstruction is Gil's rival Tarvek Sturmvoraus (though he's a prince of a principality instead of a king's son). He grew up in a DecadentCourt and had to be an ambitious schemer to even ''survive,'' but his love interest Agatha ended up becoming his romantic MoralityChain, and in turn he gave her the know-how to survive the whole [[ChangelingFantasy "lost heir"]] thing.
201* ''Webcomic/NoRestForTheWicked'' has Prince Ricardo, aka "Picky Dicky." He's [[TheAce great with heroics]], but insists on only marrying the ''best'' princess in the world, and has subsequently insulted just about every other in his search. His EstablishingCharacterMoment has him getting through the vines surrounding Sleeping Beauty's castle, which have claimed countless other men, leaning in to kiss her...and then leaving in disgust when it turns out that she wheezes in her sleep.
202* In ''Webcomic/{{Sinfest}}'', [[https://web.archive.org/web/20140209192429/http://sinfest.net/archive_page.php?comicID=3619 is displeased with]] HappilyEverAfter so she declares Prince Charming really cheated on her so she killed him in his sleep.
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205[[folder:Western Animation]]
206* ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime'': Prince Gumball from the gender-swapped episodes seems to be this (At least for what can be seen in his only two apparitions in the series) There is also [[spoiler:Prince Huge]] from the episode "The Hard Easy"
207* ''WesternAnimation/FostersHomeForImaginaryFriends'': "Frankie, My Dear" has a Prince Charming imaginary friend. He is indeed handsome, charming, romantic--and smitten with Frankie Foster. Frankie tells him that she outgrew his type years ago, but don't worry, Friends like him get snatched up by little girls in no time.
208* ''WesternAnimation/IAmWeasel'': In "The Fairy Godfather", there is a Princess Charming.
209* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyAndFriends'':
210** ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyRescueAtMidnightCastle'': At the end, [[spoiler:Scorpan]] is revealed to be a charming human prince whom Tirac turned into a monster.
211** A named-as-such Prince Charming appears in "Through the Door" among the legendary figures released from behind the Golden Door. He serves as the archetypal fairytale love interest and, like all other legendary figures, he's a living archetype effectively limited to living out his narrative role. In his case, this boils down to professing eternal love and devotion to anything that moves.
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