Princess Fantasy

[Zulema Estabrooks]

Ifell in love with a prince once. He was lounging against an oak tree. He looked as though he'd stepped out of a Brideshead Revisited set, dressed in a tweed jacket with an angelic face and dreamy expression.

My school friend nudged me as we poured over the grainy black and white photograph in The Times and the story about Prince Edward's 18th birthday and how he was getting ready to "go up" to university.

Alas, I flunked those entrance exams and the prince and I never crossed paths in real life. (Though I did get to cover some of his siblings' royal functions as a local reporter.) But in my fantasy world, it was a different story altogether.

"It's the fantasy that you never have to work again, you never have to wait for a bus in the rain, you never have to get your own shoes heeled or buy yourself a new handbag. It all just comes to you," says British writer Rosalind Miles, who I consulted when preparing last week's Cross Country Checkup on this most recent royal engagement.

I'd phoned Miles because I wanted to understand why, after decades of experience, including watching my prince grow bald and make a fool of himself and his family on reality TV, I was yet again being sucked into the pleasures of the princess fantasy.

Miles is a helpful person to turn to on this. A feminist historian (Who Cooked The Last Supper: A Women's History of The World), she has also written a shelf full of historical novels inspired by such characters as the imperious Elizabeth I.

Kate, we are told, is the first commoner to marry an English king-in-waiting in over 350 years. (The late Diana, though fondly known as the People's Princess, was in fact descended from the aristocratic Spencer family who trace their lineage back to William the Conqueror.)

I've been reading about how down-to-earth Kate is, with her coal miner grandfather and former air hostess mother. A true 21st-century Cinderella. Already strong but waiting to be transformed into a princess nonetheless.

Miles, however, had a different take. "The job she's taken on is utterly ghastly. And she has already demonstrated her royal credentials by showing she's prepared to walk two steps behind her spouse, and keep her mouth shut," Miles noted, referring to the sweetly demur engagement announcement that I had found so impossible to switch off.

And one of the reasons that it is both so compelling and delusional is that it's propelled by a princess fantasy that appeals to both men and women. For women, there's that prince who will always love and take care of us. (And as a royal you never have to worry about even carrying your own front door key in your purse.)

The danger of course is that this fantasy can lead us into completely false expectations. Miles sighs and points to the "tragic story" of Charles and Diana. "They both went into it with utterly sincere and utterly deluded notions of what that union would bring them."

In the case of Disney alone, the silk-clad cohort of Jasmine, Snow White, Aurora, Cinderella, Pocahontas, Ariel and the rest reel in a cool $4 billion from princess movies, dolls, erasers and pajamas, coming soon to a Christmas stocking near you. And that's not including the newly spun Rapunzel story.

Marshall gets concerned when traditional fables like these get so entwined with the corporate bottom line. But at the same time, she thinks that real-life royal stories, like the Kate and William engagement can open up conversations with girls and boys about what the life of a "real" princess or prince might be like. ("Bloody awful," according to Ros Miles.)

That's the one that ends with the princess saying: "Ronald, your clothes are really pretty and your hair is very neat. You look like a real prince, but you are bum." And then she dances off into the sunset on her own.

As I write this, my home office is a disarray of paper and banana skins and bits of Lego and crayons, and a new filing cabinet waits to be organized. These days, it's not me that needs to be swept off but my desk. I don't know where to start. Now where is that prince, the one I married?

This led to a lot more questions I was forced to grapple with for the first time. As someone who believed she was growing up to be a strong woman, someone who also believed that you could have it all, did loving princesses compromise my feminism? Could I think fairytales and the idea of living happily ever after were beautiful, but also understand the importance of fighting to make your own dreams come true, with or without Prince Charming? I never had a reason to question that these ideals could coexist. After that conversation, I wasn't sure.

My love for Disney princesses was recognizing that there is so much more to their stories than finding love. Ariel, more than anything, wanted legs so she could explore the human world. Cinderella wanted to escape her indentured servitude so she could have a night off. Merida refused to get married just because she was a woman of age, Tiana was determined to open her own restaurant, and Elsa wanted the freedom to be herself. These are characters that children can identify with and learn from; there's a reason why children cling to them, and it's because they have empowering, encouraging, and relatable messages.

I think about the princess fantasy and its role in the creation of the Jewish wife. Images of the strong, prince-like husband merge with idyllic visions of the loving family with zillions of children, a smiling and pious mother who does not mind cooking and cleaning, and davening in between, and a man who spends his time going to shul, learning, and of course providing. This is the kind of blended and confused imagery that I was brought up with. I remember 12th grade, sitting around with the girls in my class, talking about weddings and husbands and clothes. One girl used to write up her guest list. Another said she would never marry a man who did not go to shul three times a day. These are just the fleeting memories that come to mind now, the formation of fantasies in a world in which the princess and the balabuste coexist.

Ideal embarked on a widespread advertising campaign for the collection, creating castle-like store displays and pushed the line extensively within trade publications. Despite all their efforts, the expensive Petite Princess furniture line did not live up to expectations and failed to sell.

In 1965, Ideal rebranded the toy line as Princess Patti and began selling an accompanying cardboard dollhouse for the furniture. The dollhouse, which featured plastic windows and other decorative elements, included the original Petite Princess furniture in four of the rooms, including a bedroom, living room, music room, and dining room. Ideal also added new bathroom and a kitchen sets to complete the house, plus more modern future to appeal to a broader audience.

Originally each piece of furniture was sold separately but, with the Princess Patti line, Ideal sold entire room sets together in hopes of wooing more sales since children could complete their fantasy collection faster. However, this rebranded and expanded line was also unsuccessful and production ended a year later. The remaining stock was sold as a set with newly-designed vinyl dollhouses until 1967. Despite never taking off in popularity with children, the heavily discounted line found a new life among adult dollhouse enthusiasts. It is estimated that 50% of the Petite Princess products sold were purchased by adult collectors.

As you watch the relaxing motion of the pendulum, this magical clock will whisk you away to the ball on a crystal coach fit for a princess. Enjoy the enchanting harmony of one of 30 melodies played on the hour. The frame is a faux burl wood. The clock is battery quartz operated.

However, Videopolis did shut down, and now that space has become the Princess Fantasy Faire. The Princess Fantasy Faire is basically a meet-and-greet area for some of the Disney Princesses. You wait in a long line (emphasis on LONG) and then go into a sweet little alcove to meet princesses and take pictures.

We just got back and have a few more tips for those that have girls obsessed with the Princesses like mine is. Go see the Royal Coronation Ceremony that is right there several times a day. They sing and dance and it is cute. Usually it is Sleeping Beauty, Snow White and Cinderella in the show. After hung out by the bench they have Story time at for about five minutes. Low and behold the three Princesses in the show come back out for a meet and greet and pictures. We got my girls favorite three in less than 15 minutes. It was quick and fabulous. I asked a cast member and they said it was the best way to get them. Hope this helps someone not have to go back three times like we did before we figured this little trick out.

A princess fantasy may seem harmless. But while our dreams are not real, exactly, they are not entirely fake, either. What we want and desire shape us, influence our choices, and in doing so, change us. What we move toward determines, in a very real way, who we are.

In years past, tracking down the famous royalty of Disneyland was a difficult task. It was all about luck when it came to being in the right place at the right time to have a meet and greet with the princesses. Fortunately, Disney caught on to this on going struggle and added the Fantasy Faire in 2013.

Since they added this addition, park goers no longer wonder if they will meet a princess or have to play a guessing game on where to find them. The main place to meet the princesses is the Royal Hall. Inside the Royal Hall, there are at least 3 princesses present at all times. If you are wondering which princesses are inside, there is a sign outside the hall that lists the princesses that are present. However, sometimes it will only list one guaranteed princess and the other two are a surprise. A little tip though, if you are extra nice to the royal guards that stand watch, they may give you a hint about what other princesses await within.

The Royal Hall is everything you would imagine it to be. Inside, each princess has their own closed off section where you are able to have your own private meet and greet. Unlike previous princess encounters, you are now able to have a more exclusive experience where you do not feel rushed or overwhelmed. Also, there are PhotoPass photographers at every princess station to capture the magical moments. This regal setting is one that will excite adults and children alike. This experience is very similar to the character encounter with Mickey in Toontown, which is exceedingly better than standing out in the hot sun with people crowding everywhere.

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