History Main / PrincessesRule

* A RareMaleExample may be Prince Eric of ''Franchise/TheLittleMermaid''. His parents are never shown, but he's still called Prince. In the musical, it's actually stated that he's still a Prince because he was out sailing when his father died and just hasn't been crowned King, but in the movie, he's a ruling prince for no stated reason. Unless his nation is a principality, in which case "Prince" would be the highest possible rank.

* Justified in ''Fanfic/WhenAllIsLostThenAllIsFound''. Princess Anna has a hard time coming to the decision to take over her sister Elsa's title after she dies. Anna postpones her coronation in her grief.

* Comicbook/ArchieComicsSonicTheHedgehog: Princess Sally is one of the Freedom Fighters. Her title is justified as her father, King Max, is still alive but was deposed by Dr. Robotnik. Max retakes his throne after Robotnik is kicked out of the Kingdom of Acorn, but ''then'' there's a conflict over whether his heir should be Sally or her brother Elias, who Max favors but doesn't want the job.

* Prince Zordar of the Comet Empire in ''[[Anime/SpaceBattleshipYamato Star Blazers.]]''
** Justified in Tim Eldred's officially authorized webcomic, where [[FridgeHorror we learn]] that Zordar was indeed ''only'' a prince, and the hostile empire he hailed from is ''still there'' out in the Andromeda Galaxy.

* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Frozen|2013}}'' there's a three year gap between Elsa's parents dying and Elsa being crowned queen when she comes of age. It's never mentioned who is in charge of the kingdom during that period, so it's most likely Elsa is. At one point [[WhatCouldHaveBeen in development]], Elsa had an uncle that acted as regent during this period, explaining who ruled during the period between the parents' deaths and Elsa's coming-of-age, but he was ultimately removed from the script.

-->-- ''FanFic/BadFutureCrusaders''

* Imperial Princess Arlier, the leader of the Tiamat race in ''VideoGame/KnightsInTheNightmare''.

* Averted in ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 3}}'', where the children of Little Lamplight reject the reign of Angela, who proclaims herself a princess after being elected mayor and is removed after only five minutes.

[[folder:Web Comics]]

* Princess Ava from ''WesternAnimation/PuppyInMyPocketAdventuresInPocketville''. Although her EvilTwin Eva mentions that becoming a queen of the Pocket Kingdom is possible, Ava does not take the title as queen due to unknown circumstances, possibly in a similar reason to why My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic’s Princess Celestia and Luna are not queens.
* Princess Berrykin from ''WesternAnimation/StrawberryShortcake's Berry Bitty Adventures''.

* Odette and Derek are married at the end of the original ''WesternAnimation/TheSwanPrincess'' but are still a princess and prince in the later films. This withstands even after they adopt a princess and make her a princess too.

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Alternative title(s): Princes Rule

[[AC:Note:]] Queens (consort) who are the wives of regnant kings might be referred to as princesses. That does not fit this trope. Nor does [[UsefulNotes/ElizabethI a queen referring to herself]] as [[SheIsTheKing a prince]]. Only a princess ruling as a princess counts.

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* In ''WesternAnimation/SeaPrincesses'', Bia is the princess of the Abyssal Kingdom, responsible for maintaining order in Beyondness sea and take care of the throne while her parents are travel throughout the kingdom.

* Another RareMaleExample is the Beast/Prince Adam from WesternAnimation/BeautyandtheBeast. He is described as a Prince, but we do not see his parents.

* Similarly, Princess Sally from the ''WesternAnimation/SonicSatAM'' series would be ruler if Robotnik hadn't taken over. Instead, she leads the resistance movement.
** In the long-running [[Comicbook/ArchieComicsSonicTheHedgehog spin-off comic,]] her title is justified as we eventually meet her dad, King Max, whom Robotnik had deposed. Max retakes his throne after Robotnik is kicked out of the Kingdom of Acorn. ''Then'' there's a conflict over whether his heir should be Sally or her brother Elias, whom Max favors but who doesn't want the job.

* In ''Fanfic/EquestriaAHistoryRevealed'', after [[spoiler: [[ItsALongStory Chrysalis is born as a dark Celestia clone as the result of baking gone wrong]]]], she questions why Celestia calls herself a princess when she's the only one ruling. Celestia says its because the title of princess brings up the image of youth and beauty. Chrysalis interrupts and says that's stupid, and chooses to call herself a queen, leading to an argument between the two.

* ''Disney/WreckItRalph'' appears to intentionally invoke this trope with the world of the Sugar Rush game being ruled by [[spoiler:Princess Vanellope]]. It doesn't last long, though, as [[spoiler:she decides she would rather be president instead.]]
* A RareMaleExample may be Prince Eric of ''Disney/TheLittleMermaid''. His parents are never shown, but he's still called Prince. In the musical, it's actually stated that he's still a Prince because he was out sailing when his father died and just hasn't been crowned King, but in the movie, he's a ruling prince for no stated reason. Unless his nation is a principality, in which case "Prince" would be the highest possible rank.

* In ''Disney/{{Frozen}}'' there's a three year gap between Elsa's parents dying and Elsa being crowned queen when she comes of age. It's never mentioned who is in charge of the kingdom during that period, so it's most likely Elsa is. At one point [[WhatCouldHaveBeen in development]], Elsa had an uncle that acted as regent during this period, explaining who ruled during the period between the parents' deaths and Elsa's coming-of-age, but he was ultimately removed from the script.

* In the ''Literature/LafayetteOLeary'' series, when Princess Adoreanne ascends to the throne of Artesia, she remains a princess for reasons which are never explained, but presumably have something to do with the fact that she's still young and beautiful and [[RuleOfFunny subject to various]] common [[EverythingsBetterWithPrincesses "princess" tropes]].

* Princess Starglo from ''Franchise/CareBears: Share Bear Shines'' is described as "the mother of all stars," yet is only a princess [[EverythingsBetterWithPrincesses for some reason]].

* Plourr Illo of the ''ComicBook/XWingSeries'' is revealed to be the [[KingIncognito last, lost princess]] of her homeworld, the rest of her family being dead. At the end of ''Warrior Princess'' she is acclaimed as Empress Apparent-Heir--but in later comics she's called Princess or Princess of the Realm.

* Cornelia and Euphemia of ''Anime/CodeGeass'' both reign as Viceroys of Area 11 on behalf of their father, the Emperor, and it's shown that they're given pretty broad authority to rule as they see fit. [[spoiler:In the second series, Nunally also briefly becomes one, at least until Lelouch's rebellion finally succeeds. And averted in the finale, as Nunally is elevated to the rank of Empress [[FridgeLogic despite being near the bottom of the line of succession]]. Considering her brother Lelouch usurped the throne and became Emperor and died without any heirs, that would make her next in the line of succession.]]

->''"Even though the king and queen are totally dead, she still technically calls herself 'Princess'. \\
How does that work? If you're the ruler of a nation, you're a fucking queen."''
-->-- '''WebVideo/TheNostalgiaCritic''', reviewing ''WesternAnimation/FelixTheCatTheMovie''

* The setting of ''Webcomic/RustyAndCo'' is ruled by The Princess. No Kings nor Queens are ever mentioned, and lesser nobles who want to steal the throne would send assassins on the Princess, implying that she is the absolute sovereign of the kingdom.

As it says in EverythingsBetterWithPrincesses, occasionally in fiction, a princess is shown to be the absolute ruler of a realm, despite the fact that, logically, that would make her [[TheHighQueen a queen]]. There could be [[JustifiedTrope a few reasons]] ''why'' she hasn't been crowned queen, such as the realm is explicitly a principality, they are waiting until the princess comes of age (although historically this doesn't usually happen), or the princess is only acting ruler, as regent for an incapacitated monarch, or she's ruling a feudal fiefdom granted by and subordinate to her parents (who are still the reigning monarchs overall). However, in fiction-land, this set-up doesn't usually even get a hand-wave. The ruler just is a princess for [[EverythingsBetterWithPrincesses some inexplicable reason]]. Likely done to avoid associations with [[GodSaveUsFromTheQueen evil queens]], as pretty young girls are less likely to be evil than older women. (It tends to be a popular trope in works by and for little girls still in their {{Princess Phase}}s.)

Contrast GodSaveUsFromTheQueen. Compare PoliticallyActivePrincess.