Line #65 Main/RoyalSchool


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11	[[quoteright:350:[[WesternAnimation/SofiaTheFirst https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/stf_rp.png]]]]
12	[-[[caption-width-right:350:"The dorms are exquisite, but the homework's a royal pain!"]]-]
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17	A subtrope of the ExtranormalInstitute, but rather than paranormal power the students have RoyalBlood.
18
19	Conveniently, it mixes every little girl's [[PrincessPhase dream of being a princess]] with the modern duty of going to school.
20
21	For that reason, young girls are usually the target audience and, consequently, it tends to be an [[OneGenderSchool all-girl school.]] After all, princes are a less interesting population, aren't they? Even if a PrinceCharming sister school exists, their pupils will only ever be seen when invited for DancesAndBalls. Due to the audience's age, it will usually be an elementary school.
22
23	Don't expect lessons like maths or literature, rather poise, [[EveryProperLadyShouldCurtsy curtsy]], waltz, good manners, arts, [[UpperClassEquestrian horse riding lessons]], and sometimes Fencing, as well. In a nutshell, LessonsInSophistication. If the setting is MedievalEuropeanFantasy (which is common), expect [[WizardingSchool magic lessons]].
24
25	Don't expect a typical school building, either. Instead, expect something like a [[ElaborateUniversityHigh huge]] BrightCastle. More often than not it will be a BoardingSchool, with a fancy collective dormitory room: [[PrincessesPreferPink pink walls]], canopy beds and satin sheets. Expect a banquet room instead of a cafeteria, throne-shaped chairs in the classroom, and a carriage instead of a school bus. The [[HighSchoolDance school dance]] will be a fancy ball in a dedicated ballroom.
26
27	The students will wear a PimpedOutDress on a daily basis and a [[CoolCrown tiara]] at all times, even in bed. HighClassGloves may or may not be included. [[MaidCorps An army of maids]] will usually take care of them, brought by pupils themselves if not provided by the school.
28
29	The local AlphaBitch will be an heiress, from a powerful [[TheEmpire empire]] and/or
30	[[Fiction500 richer family]] than anybody else. [[RichBitch She will usually pick on]] the "poor" princesses from [[MicroMonarchy the smallest kingdoms]] or [[FishOutOfWater with]] [[StrangerInAStrangeSchool a]] [[PennyAmongDiamonds commoner past]].]
31
32	The main protagonist will usually be of the latter type who [[ReallyRoyaltyReveal never knew]] [[RagsToRoyalty she had]] RoyalBlood, or was given a [[ScholarshipStudent scholarship]] by an AnonymousBenefactor, making her a perfect AudienceSurrogate. Otherwise, she'll be familiar with her royal heritage, but [[NaiveNewcomer ignorant of the school subjects]]. Being TheHero, she'll be SpoiledSweet.
33
34	Teachers will be kings, queens, or [[FairyGodmother fairies]]. There is FridgeLogic in this, such as wondering why the monarchs are teaching rather than ruling their countries, or just how many monarchies there are in the world to support such a large student body?
35
36	In RealLife, schools for royal children never existed. Princesses, as well as other nobles, were [[HomeschooledKids home schooled]] before the advent of compulsory school. Modern princes and princesses attend upper class academies amongst commoners since, logically, there aren't enough royal children to justify a school.
37
38	Related to GratuitousPrincess, PrincessPhase and LessonsInSophistication.
39
40	Note: In [[ShoujoDemographic shojos mangas]], schools with the exact appearance of royals academies will show up frequently. They're set in a [[BigFancyCastle castle]], including a ball room, but [[DownplayedTrope it's co-educational and students wear ordinary uniforms]] because they are filthy rich rather than royal. Examples include ''Mei-chan no Shitsuji'' school, [[Anime/RevolutionaryGirlUtena Ohtori Academy]], [[Manga/OuranHighSchoolHostClub Ouran Academy]], [[Manga/YumeiroPatissiere St. Marie Academy]], and so on. A case could be made for including [[Franchise/{{Danganronpa}} Hope's Peak]] in the list, but that turned out to be ''very'' false advertising.
41
42	Works set in these exclusive schools will almost certainly have a CastFullOfRichPeople.
43
44	----
45	!!Examples:
46	[[foldercontrol]]
47
48	[[folder: Anime & Manga]]
49	* ''Anime/GoPrincessPrettyCure:'' The [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin aptly named]] Noble Academy fits many of the requirements. It's described as a ladies and gentlemen's school, the students are obliged to greet each other in a polite way, there is a ballroom and dance lessons for the DancesAndBalls that take place here...It's [[DownplayedTrope downplayed]], however, as the only students who get "princess lessons" (like learning to serve tea, apply make-up or make a ball gown) are the three [[spoiler:(later four)]] protagonists, thanks to Miss Siamour, and in private classes.
50	* The Jewel palace and the Royal palace in ''Anime/LadyJewelpet'' are exactly this, except the female students are called ladies. Still, they train to become the Top Lady, who then is crowned Queen. The male students are called princes, and tasks are essentially around poise and manners (how to properly sit at a table, take a pet for a walk, correspondence art, [[BridalCarry carrying a princess]], etc.)
51	* The Princess Academy in ''Anime/PetitePrincessYucie'', where the daughters of kings attend to learn magic, dance, etiquette and art. More specifically, they train in order to be the "Platinum Princess", who'll be able to wear the Eternal Tiara, which can grant any wish.
52	* Royal High in ''Manga/Royal17'' seems to be a parody of this. It's in PresentDay, and co-educational with uniforms. Still, the cafeteria looks like a three-star restaurant,there are chandeliers for lighting halls, it has its own ice rink, and even sticks for hockey class are GemEncrusted.
53	* ''Literature/TearmoonEmpire'': The academia Saint Noel is a co-ed, elite school reserved to royalty and high nobility. There is a homecoming ball, and even luxury shops (that sell jewelry or fancy dresses) inside the enclosure of the school.
54	[[/folder]]
55
56	[[folder: Comic Books]]
57	* ''[[http://ecolecrinoline.milan-dev3.com/ L'école Crinoline]]'' (Crinoline School), a European {{Animesque}} comic book. Like often, it has a princes' school in the neighborhood, and students are celebrities from FairyTale universes. Some are Franchise/DisneyPrincess inspired, (Literature/{{Cinderella}}, Literature/SleepingBeauty, Literature/SnowWhite, [[Literature/BeautyAndTheBeast Belle]], WesternAnimation/{{Mulan}} and WesternAnimation/{{Pocahontas}}). The others are from less-known tales such as [[Myth/NorseMythology Idunn]], Savitri, [[Literature/ArabianNights Scheherazade]], and Zaina.
58	* ''ComicBook/PrincessUgg'': Being a PrettyPrincessPowerhouse from a barbarian kingdom who NeverLearnedToRead, the eponymous character has trouble fitting into the princess academy.
59	[[/folder]]
60
61	[[folder: Fan Works]]
62	* [[HighSchoolAU It's a common theme]] in fanfics or fanarts to use the Franchise/DisneyPrincess clique and send them [[http://suneestride.deviantart.com/art/Disney-High-328963520 to a "Disney High"]]. [[http://abbadon82.deviantart.com/gallery/32448160 The setting is often modernized]]; [[http://morloth88.deviantart.com/gallery/40412877 their princes and Disney heroes are there as other students]]. Villains are teachers in some works and [[JerkJock student]] [[AlphaBitch antagonists]] in others.
63	[[/folder]]
64
65	[[folder: Film -- Animated]]
66	* ''WesternAnimation/LittlePrincessSchool'' by the infamous {{Mockbuster}} studio, Creator/VideoBrinquedo, is about ripoffs of the Franchise/DisneyPrincess clique going to school.
67	[[/folder]]
68
69	[[folder: Film -- Live Action]]
70	* ''Film/{{Descendants}}'': Auradon Prep fits many of the requirements; notably some students are royals because their parents were, and princesses are one of the popular group of kids in the spin-off web series [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XnGI703FN_w&list=PLARVidk9CuvF4Kbutk34rWeZ6wnpd4rwc&index=12&ab_channel=DisneyChannelUK School of secrets]].
71	* [[TheEighties 1987's]] movie ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Princess_Academy The Princess Academy]]'' by Bruce A. Block. Being about a Swiss boarding school for rich ladies, princesses here are more of the MafiaPrincess kind. However, the main character, Cindy, is a typical poor commoner and [[StrangerInAStrangeSchool out of place student ]]who's attending on a [[ScholarshipStudent scholarship]].
72	* ''Film/SecretSocietyOfSecondBornRoyals'': Strathmore High school in Illyria is this during school year, as apparently all students there are of royal blood. However, we won't see much of this, as the institution secretly overlap with SuperheroSchool during summer classes. It influence the school appearance, that is very modern-looking.
73	* ''Film/TheSchoolForGoodAndEvil2022'': Like in the book (see the Literature section), the school for Good teaches students into being princes and princesses. The uniforms used in the book are dropped here, and girls wear [[CostumePorn magnificent varied princesses dresses]].
74	[[/folder]]
75
76	[[folder: Literature]]
77	* Similar to the case of ''My Next Life As a Villainess'', in ''Literature/EndoAndKobayashiLive The Latest on Tsundere Villainess Lieselotte'', due to the fact that [[SupernaturalElite only nobles are capable of using magic]], [[WizardingSchool Royal Academy of Magic]]'s student body are all aristocrats.
78	* The album ''[[http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tjrcbtz4LNM/T8ON8O2tw0I/AAAAAAAABVs/zFbc0hM1KHw/s1600/Gothic-Lolita-couverture.jpg Gothic Lolita]]'' by Maud Amoretti and Audrey Alwett is, as the title suggests, about the opening of a ElegantGothicLolita school. However the expression "modern princesses" is often used to design said gothic lolitas, and even the academy is once called a princesses' school. No wonder: it's set in a manor with a {{Bizarrchitecture}}, has weekly DancesAndBalls, [[spoiler: and turns out to have been built on Princess Literature/{{Cinderella}}'s tomb.]]
79	* Played with in ''Literature/MyNextLifeAsAVillainessAllRoutesLeadToDoom''. The school that most of the story takes place in is ''technically'' not exclusive to nobility and royalty as it's required by law that everyone with magic in the kingdom attend it when they turn 15. It's just that the ability to use magic is so insanely rare among commoners (with Maria being the only one among the current student body, and the first one in the past ''10 years'') that it ends up leaning in that direction anyways.
80	* In the French children's novel ''The Masqued Prince'', the [[GreatDetective titular character]] investigates a series of sabotages that happened in a royal TwoTeacherSchool. [[spoiler: The culprit turns out to be a little witch infiltrated among the princesses.]]
81	* ''Literature/PrincessAcademy:'' The particularity here is that the girls are not of RoyalBlood, but are still educated as princesses, so the best student can marry the prince and become a princess for real. The “school” aspect of this trope turns out to be even more important than the “royal” part: the academy is the first access to formal education the students have ever had and the key to raising their families out of poverty.
82	* ''Literature/ThePrincessBride'': In order to [[ArrangedMarriage marry]] Prince Humperdinck, Buttercup has to attend royalty school for three years, and is given the title of Princess of Hammersmith (which was part of the Florinese property but nobody ever paid attention to it) because the Prince couldn't marry a commoner.
83	* [[https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24887197-princess-disgrace Tall Towers school]], in ''Princess Disgrace'', is attended by [[TheKlutz the clumsy heroine]] (Dis)Grace and her AlphaBitch cousin.
84	* In ''[[http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-15-206599-7 Princess in Training]]'' by Tammi Sauer, it's the boot camp version that Viola Louise Hassenfeffer is sent to, due to her TomboyPrincess behavior.
85	* ''[[http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/948090.Princess_School Princess School]]'' by Jane B. Mason. Said school is attended by FairyTale princesses, including the main cast, Literature/{{Cinderella}}, [[Literature/SleepingBeauty Briar Rose]], Literature/{{Rapunzel}} and Literature/SnowWhite.
86	* In ''[[http://www.laurajoyrennert.com/authorsite/royal-princess-academy-dragon-dreams.php Royal Princess Academy: Dragons Dreams]]'', Princess Emma [[FishOutOfWater does not fit in the mold]] of the school, and secretly dreams of becoming a DragonRider.
87	* In ''Literature/TheSchoolForGoodAndEvil'', the School for Good teaches every girl how to be a princess, but only a few graduate into this in fairy tales afterwards. Most are children of former [[PrincessClassic heroines]], and already have the title. Not to mention the [[PrincessesPreferPink pink]] uniforms, BrightCastle-like building, or nymphs and fairies to serve everyone.
88	* ''[[https://toppsta.com/books/series/3374/the-tiara-club The Tiara Club]]'' is a children's book series revolving around a princesses' [[BoardingSchool boarding academy]]. The teachers being kings, queens and fairies, this is set in MedievalEuropeanFantasy times, though the princesses' clothes on the covers are [[AnachronismStew pretty modern]]. The pupils get or lose "tiara points" depending on their behavior (in [[DistaffCounterpart the sister Princes' School]], it's crown points). The narrator changes in every book; the first of them, Princess Charlotte, notices with shock that she is supposed to sleep in mundane cotton bedsheets instead of silk ones, among other things. The Princess academy is especially designed to teach princesses [[BreakTheHaughty how life is outside a palace]].
89	* ''Literature/ModernVillainess'' is set in an AlternateHistory modern Japan where the peerage system (abolished in real-life in 1947) remains. This means the novel simply carbon-copied the Gakushūin as mentioned in the Real Life section, bland-named to Gakushū''kan''.
90
91	[[/folder]]
92
93	[[folder: Live Action TV]]
94	* ''Series/{{Prinsessia}}'' is a Belgian children's television program about five princesses who are taught at the eponymous school, with their headmistress Miss Flora. The motto of the program reads: "After each new lesson, a little more princess".
95	[[/folder]]
96
97	[[folder: Theatre ]]
98	* ''[[http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/415BP58M9lL.jpg Princess Reform School]]'' is a play that bears a strong resemblance to ''Royal Princess Academy''. In a school attended by FairyTale princesses, the student Mimi wishes she could chase dragons.
99	[[/folder]]
100
101	[[folder: Radio]]
102	* In ''Radio/CabinPressure'', the crew are hired to fly the prepubescent King of Liechtenstein[[note]]which in real life is a Principality--[[/note]] to Britain for a new term at his private school, which apparently has a large number of various other royals amongst its students. Maxi is failing to make friends by [[RoyalBrat pulling rank as the only reigning King]], and is apparently bullied by the Sheikh of Qatar.
103	[[/folder]]
104
105	[[folder: Webcomics ]]
106	* ''Webcomic/GirlGenius'': The baron's school onboard Castle Wulfenbach. The baron, who is also dictator of most of Europe, takes the children of the rulers of every province he has conquered to go to school. While the children's parents and the older children are well aware that they are there to guarantee their parents' good behavior, they are given a first-class education (both general education and in statecraft) and encouraged to become RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething (to subvert DecadentCourt) and make friends (so they will become more reluctant to go to war with each other when they inherit their respective thrones).
107	[[/folder]]
108
109	[[folder: WebVideo]]
110	* The Website/YouTube fan series ''Princess Academy'' by Pattycake productions. All [[Franchise/DisneyPrincess Disney princesses]] (including the non official) live in a palace where they apparently don't do any studying still (Even if they have a museum of ancient history as showed in the cross-over with the series ''WebVideo/TheVillainsLair'').
111	[[/folder]]
112
113	[[folder: Western Animation]]
114	* ''Franchise/{{Barbie}}'':
115	** ''WesternAnimation/BarbiePrincessCharmSchool'': Said school revolves around this trope, and yet it [[SubvertedTrope subverts it]] in many ways. The academy is a high school, and the setting is PresentDay, although each student has a FairyCompanion. They wear mundane uniforms, [[PimpedOutDress ball dresses]] being for the coronation day. The school isn't princesses-only, a good portion of students are [[LadyInWaiting ladies royal]] in training. Apart from this it's very classical: tiaras are part of the uniform, (and lockers are topped with these too) the cafeteria looks like a normal one until you notice the crystal and silver cutlery, there is a school attended by princes next door, and students travel by carriage. The protagonist, Blair, is a [[PennyAmongDiamonds commoner]] FishOutOFWater entered after winning a [[LadyInWaiting lady royal]] scholarship in a lottery. [[spoiler:Until it's revealed she was a [[HiddenBackupPrince honest-to-God princess]] all along]].
116	** ''WesternAnimation/BarbieInRocknRoyals'': The aptly named Royalty Camp is a summer camp version of this; thus the activities are more playful than usual and include magic, unicorns grooming, arts, horse riding and tea parties.
117	* The series ''Toys/EverAfterHigh'' follows the concept with children of FairyTale characters. Not only about a half of the students are princes and princesses due to the fact their parents were this before them, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1JcWRqBq9c but they call themselves "Royals", actually]].
118	* The [[WhatCouldHaveBeen stillborn]] project of ''[[http://disney.wikia.com/wiki/Princess_Academy Princess Academy]]''. In that animated short, it was planned to show a Disney school attended by princesses, but also by every single female character [[MegaCrossover ever done by the studios,]] including animals. The short was canceled after Disney's 2D department closed.
119	* ''WesternAnimation/RegalAcademy'': It's set in the fairy tale world and the teachers are heroes and heroines of fairy tales, and thus are often royalty. The students are the grandchildren of these former heroes and other heroes and villains and thus also royalty. However, it's downplayed, as not all the students are royals and the classes are mostly about [[WizardingSchool magic.]]
120	* ''WesternAnimation/SeaPrincesses'' averts most of the usual attributes associated with this trope. While everyone attending the school is royalty, the school is co-ed, and is not devoted to teaching children how to be princes and princesses. Rather it seems to teach a normal curriculum (or, at least, normal for an undersea school).
121	* ''WesternAnimation/SofiaTheFirst:'' Royal Prep is a rare co-educated version, run by the three fairies from ''WesternAnimation/SleepingBeauty'', and with interventions from the Franchise/DisneyPrincess team. Sofia is a NaiveNewcomer here, because she recently [[AdoptedIntoRoyalty became princess by adoption]]. There are a few pupils and they are from all around the world, to justify the number problem evoked above. But you can wonder how they are not late for school every morning.
122	* PlayedForHorror in ''WesternAnimation/StarVsTheForcesOfEvil'' which has the St. Olga ''Reform School'' for Wayward Princesses, where [[MagicalGirl Star]] fears her parents will send her if she [[MagicMisfire messes up too badly]]. It also doubles as a BoardingSchoolOfHorrors as its training involves brainwashing its students to conformity, with its own Room101.
123	* ''WesternAnimation/WinxClub:'' Alfea College is a [[DownplayedTrope downplayed version]]: It's primary a WizardingSchool for fairies. However, about three of the six main characters are princesses, and four other students are princesses as well (Galatea from Melody, Krystal from Linphea, and [[spoiler: Roxy from Earth]].) Plus Alfea is a BrightCastle with a ball room.
124	[[/folder]]
125
126	[[folder: Real Life ]]
127	* While a school for ''only'' royalty would in reality probably be too restrictive to be profitable, certain British boarding schools are exclusive, expensive, and prestigious enough to attract a disproportionate number of children of world leaders all set to [[MajoredInWesternHypocrisy Major in Western Hypocrisy]].
128	* "[[https://www.insideedition.com/headlines/2367-princess-prep-classes-instruct-girls-in-princess-etiquette The princess prep]]" in London. In 2011, during the royal wedding fever, a kind of boot camp was opened for little girls to teach them princesses' manners.
129	* Similar to the above, the summer camp in "The Enchanted Castle" in Canada called Princess Academy. Could be shared, in that case, with "pirates"(Boys).
130	* [[https://snellville.macaronikid.com/articles/582653bc24d8f4da3ab1c6f5/once-upon-a-fairy-tale-summer-camp-guide-2015 This Atlanta activities center]] proposed, among others things, a "princess charm academy".
131	* A rather more humdrum example are the Finishing Schools popular the 19th and early-20th centuries, where teenage girls are sent to learn the manners and behaviours expected of an upper-class lady. They were popular with the upward-mobile middle-class families who want their daughters to marry up (and/or marry into royalty). Although ''actual'' royalty tend to shun these schools as sending their children there would imply that they were not classy and royal enough to be able to teach their kids manners at home.
132	* The closest to this trope in history was the Gakushūin of Japan. In 1877, less than 10 years after the UsefulNotes/MeijiRestoration and the establishment of Kazoku, the new noble class, Gakushūin was founded as a division of the Ministry of the Imperial Household. While there was no law that required all Kazoku to attend Gakushūin, they had guaranteed admission solely due to their status, which means nearly all descendants of the Kazoku between 1878 to 1947 (when the entire system of the aristocracy was abolished) studied in Gakushūin--an ElevatorSchool--up to high school. The descendants of the same people continue to treat the privatized post-1947 Gakushūin as their default school for the same reason, including the Imperial family--all descendants of the Meiji emperor were, or are, students of Gakushūin.
133	* Vietnam's first national university, the Quốc tử giám (lit. "School for Children of the Nation") was initially established in 1076 to educate crown princes, princes, and sons of nobles. In 1253, it was changed to Quốc học viện ("Imperial Academy") and opened up to exceptional commoners. 1762 saw it renamed back to Quốc tử giám, but commoners could still test into the Academy. The Nguyễn dynasty (the final feudal dynasty) moved the capital to Huế. Thus, the Imperial Academy went with them, and the complex in Hanoi was re-designated the Temple of Literature. In modern times it's still referred to as Văn Miếu - Quốc tử giám ("Temple of Literature - Imperial Academy") ''anyway''. Unlike the Gakushūin, it's now defunct, replaced by a nationwide higher education system.
134	* When Hawaii was still the Kingdom of UsefulNotes/{{Hawaii}}, an educational facility was established strictly for the children of the ''ali'i'' (members of the royal family). It was a {{boarding school}} created by King Kamehameha III with the intent of teaching the children what they would need to know to rule the islands; the only children allowed to attend lessons there were those who had a potential claim to the Hawaiian throne. Its pupils included the future King Kalakaua and his sister Queen Liliuo'kalani, the last two sovereigns of independent Hawaii. It was known throughout the realm first as the Chiefs' Children's School and then as the Royal School; it still operates today as Royal Elementary School, though it's now part of the Hawaiian public school system.
135	[[/folder]]

Context Main / RoyalSchool