History Main / PrinceCharming

* Played straight in ''Film/PrinceCharming''n 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 rescues a damsel in distress, who starts trying to [[RescueSex reward him]].

* Played straight in ''Film/PrinceCharming'' a 2001 made-for-television film starring Creator/SeanMaguire is the story of a prince who gets turned into a frog because he dashingly rescues a damsel in distress who starts trying to [[RescueSex reward him]].

* ''Anime/{{Negima}}'' has Fate, playing it straight just to make Negi jealous.

It's only the rarest of instances where he can be played straight and done right. And under those circumstances he will be given his own name, and not called Prince Charming. "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 to earn his "Prince Charming" status.

[[quoteright:350:[[WesternAnimation/{{Cinderella}} https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/cinderella_and_prince_charming_clipart_15.png]]]]

* 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]].

* Played straight in ''Film/PrinceCharming'' a 2001 made-for-television film starring Sean Maguire is the story of a prince who gets turned into a frog because he dashingly rescues a damsel in distress who starts trying to [[RescueSex reward him]].

In 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 DeadlyDecadentCourt. The next steps up are TheCaligula, TheGoodKing, GodSaveUsFromTheQueen, TheHighQueen, and TheWomanWearingTheQueenlyMask.

* [[ManipulativeBastard Loki]] suggests that Hulkling of the ''Comicbook/YoungAvengers'' 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''. Teammate [[TeenGenius Prodigy]] dismisses the whole matter as "existential nonsense".

Ground zero for all PrincelyTropes, or what comes to mind when we think of a prince.

The SpearCounterpart to PrincessClassic.

** 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/TheLionKing 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:a PrinceCharmless]] ([[WesternAnimation/Frozen2013 Hans]]).

** 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/TheLionKing 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:a PrinceCharmless]] ([[WesternAnimation/{{Frozen}} Hans]]).

** 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/TheLionKing 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:be the BigBad]] ([[WesternAnimation/{{Frozen}} Hans]]).

* ''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 an {{Adorkable}} 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 [[{{Adorkable}} a complete dork]] [[ShipTease around Carol, however.]] [[EveryoneCanSeeIt Hmm. I wonder why...]]

** 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 {{Adorkable}} than Cinderella's prince though.

* 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.]]

** ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyTVSpecials'': At the end of ''Rescue at Midnight Castle'', [spoiler:Scorpan]] is revealed to be a charming human prince whom Tirac turned into a monster.

[[folder:Web Comics]]

* At the end of the first WesternAnimation/MyLittlePony [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyTVSpecials TV special]],[[spoiler:Scorpan]] is revealed to be one.

The term PrinceCharming 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''.

Nowadays, the classic PrinceCharming 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, the Prince is often PrinceCharmless -- a {{Jerkass}}, SmugSnake, or downright [[TheEvilPrince evil]]. Possibly, he'll be [[ShelteredAristocrat naive]] or [[RoyalBrat selfish]].

* The Queen of Fables thinks that Franchise/{{Superman}} is PrinceCharming and wants to either kill him or marry him. Maybe both. [[TheHero Given his nature]], it's understandable that the delusional Queen would make this mistake.

* Franchise/DisneyAnimatedCanon: Even though the movies have never used the name PrinceCharming, this trope is still quite common.

* ''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 PrinceCharming traits.

** The main Prince James, is sarcastically (at first) [[InSeriesNickname nicknamed]] PrinceCharming 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.

* In ''Webcomic/{{Sinfest}}'', [[https://web.archive.org/web/20140209192429/http://sinfest.net/archive_page.php?comicID=3619 is displeased with]] HappilyEverAfter so she declares PrinceCharming really cheated on her so she killed him in his sleep.

-->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.]]

* In Creator/TerryPratchett's ''Discworld/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.]]

[[quoteright:350:[[Disney/{{Cinderella}} https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/cinderella_and_prince_charming_clipart_15.png]]]]

* Even though the Franchise/DisneyAnimatedCanon movies have never used the name PrinceCharming, it's often attached to them.
** The princes in ''Disney/SnowWhiteAndTheSevenDwarfs'', ''Disney/{{Cinderella}}'', and ''Disney/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.
** Eric from ''Disney/TheLittleMermaid'' (1989) 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.
** 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 ([[Disney/TheLionKing Simba]]), be jerks at first though they later [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold improve]] ([[Disney/BeautyAndTheBeast Beast]], [[Disney/TheEmperorsNewGroove Kuzco]]), start off as commoners who rise to the status of prince through marriage ([[{{Disney/Aladdin}} Aladdin]], [[{{Disney/Tangled}} Flynn Rider]]), appear charming but turn out to be a womanizing ManChild ([[Disney/ThePrincessAndTheFrog Naveen]]), or even [[spoiler:be the BigBad]] ([[{{Disney/Frozen}} Hans]]).
* Inverted in the ''WesternAnimation/{{Shrek}}'' sequels, as Prince Charming is vain, selfish, a sissy coward and in ''Shrek the Third'', arguably [[TheEvilPrince evil]].
* Somewhat twisted in ''WesternAnimation/{{Charming}}'' as the prince's "charm" is part of a curse. The central plot revolves around him trying to get rid of his charm, only to get the real non-magical version in the process. Still, so long as the curse is in effect, no woman can love anyone other than him, so it's probably for the best.

* ''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 (though he's an {{Adorkable}} variant of TheCharmer).
** Thor, of course.
** Loki, sort of. Perfectly charming, perfectly nice and kind, after his HeelFaceTurn a couple of years prior... but he's also TheSpymaster, a MagnificentBastard with few equals and TheAtoner, somewhat subverting this.

* 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.]]

* Deconstructed in ''Literature/The Folk of the Air.'' 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.]]

* Deconstructed in ''The Folk of the Air.'' 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.]]