{"id":2069961,"date":"2025-10-05T06:55:07","date_gmt":"2025-10-05T06:55:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2069961"},"modified":"2025-10-05T06:55:07","modified_gmt":"2025-10-05T06:55:07","slug":"the-dark-stories-behind-your-favorite-disney-princesses","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/the-dark-stories-behind-your-favorite-disney-princesses\/","title":{"rendered":"The Dark Stories Behind Your Favorite Disney Princesses"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div data-article-body=\"true\">\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><span>The classic tales of your <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.womansworld.com\/entertainment\/movies\/best-disney-movies\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:favorite Disney movies;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">favorite Disney movies<\/a> are as sweet as sugar \u2014 from the beautiful relationship in <\/span><i><span>Beauty and the Beast <\/span><\/i><span>to <\/span><i><span>The Little Mermaid<\/span><\/i><span> gaining her voice and ending up with the prince. But the origin stories behind these adorable cartoons aren\u2019t as charming as they are made out to be on-screen. Find out where your favorite princesses really began and the darker details behind these Disney movies.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"mb-4 text-xl font-bold md:text-2xl\"><i><span>Beauty and the Beast<\/span><\/i><\/h2>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-3 right-3 size-10 md:size-[50px] lg:inset-0 lg:size-full lg:bg-transparent\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-0 right-0 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"size-4 lg:size-6\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\"><path d=\"M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed inset-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<p><span><span>Beauty and the Beast (1991)<\/span><br \/><span>\u00a9Walt Disney Pictures \/ Courtesy Everett Collection<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><span>Originally Published: 1740<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><span>Author: Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><span>You probably know the story of <\/span><i><span>Beauty and the Beast <\/span><\/i><span>best from the 1991 film version released by Disney. Although the movie is a fairly sweet take, adapted for children to enjoy, the original story is slightly different. The 1740 version tells the story of a merchant taking a rose from a garden and the Beast demanding he send one of his daughters in place of the rose.<\/span><span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><span>When Beauty arrives at the castle, she begins to dream of a woman, urging her to look past the Beast\u2019s appearances. The story is fairly similar to that of the Disney movie minus the addition of a jealous Gaston.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><span>Although it\u2019s not confirmed, it is widely thought that <\/span><i><span>Beauty and the Beast<\/span><\/i><span> is based on the true story of Petrus Gonsalvus, a man who suffered from hypertrichosis, causing hair to grow all over his body. Gonsalvus, born in 1537, was treated as an exotic creature and gifted to King Henry II of France when he was 10 years old.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"mb-4 text-xl font-bold md:text-2xl\"><i><span>The Little Mermaid<\/span><\/i><\/h2>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><img alt=\"The Little Mermaid \" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"960\" height=\"645\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"rounded-lg\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/A1eyyoywoAVZP1zQLpWEgg--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTY0NTtjZj13ZWJw\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/woman_s_world_418\/673ca2e08d8108012b36c5292bbab2c0\"\/><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-3 right-3 size-10 md:size-[50px] lg:inset-0 lg:size-full lg:bg-transparent\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-0 right-0 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"size-4 lg:size-6\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\"><path d=\"M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed inset-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<p><span><span>The Little Mermaid (1989)<\/span><br \/><span>\u00a9 Walt Disney Co. \/ Courtesy Everett Collection<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><span>Originally Published: 1836<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><span>Author: Hans Christian Andersen<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><span>While we all enjoy the 1989 Disney classic of a young mermaid named Ariel who falls in love with a human, the original story behind <\/span><i><span>The Little Mermaid<\/span><\/i><span> is a bit darker. While Hans Christian Andersen\u2019s version has the same deal between Ariel and the sea witch, the catch is much worse than Ariel simply losing her voice.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><span>In the original story, in exchange for Ariel\u2019s ability to walk on land, every step she takes feels like she\u2019s walking on sharp knives. Therefore, every moment she spends on land is excruciating.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><span>Another dark detail in the original is that mermaids don\u2019t have souls and that they can only gain a soul if a human falls in love with them. Unfortunately, the prince does not fall in love with the mermaid in Andersen\u2019s tale, rather he falls for the woman he sees on the beach after being rescued by the mermaid. Isn\u2019t <\/span><i><span>that <\/span><\/i><span>a kick to the gut?<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"mb-4 text-xl font-bold md:text-2xl\"><i><span>Mulan<\/span><\/i><\/h2>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><img alt=\"Mulan\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"960\" height=\"604\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"rounded-lg\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/EiqYGOHhb.on176Uh0W34Q--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTYwNDtjZj13ZWJw\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/woman_s_world_418\/08c360e2cc46622c85f56fc7e06ce5bc\"\/><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-3 right-3 size-10 md:size-[50px] lg:inset-0 lg:size-full lg:bg-transparent\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-0 right-0 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"size-4 lg:size-6\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\"><path d=\"M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed inset-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<p><span><span>Mulan (1998)<\/span><br \/><span>Walt Disney Pictures\/ Courtesy: Everett Collection.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><span>Originally Published: Between the 4<\/span><span>th<\/span><span> and 6<\/span><span>th<\/span><span> centuries AD<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><span>Author: Unknown<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><span>The Disney film that we all know and love is based on a poem from a <\/span><i><span>very <\/span><\/i><span>long time ago, as well as a 1965 novel titled the <\/span><i><span>Romance of Sui and Tang<\/span><\/i><span>. In each version of the story, Mulan takes on the role of a man so she can take her father\u2019s place in the war. But in the 1965 novel, Mulan returns home to find her father has passed, her mother has remarried and her true identity is discovered.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><span>Mulan is then forced into the role of a concubine, but instead of being destined for that fate, she takes her own life. Why Disney chose this very upsetting story to create a sweet fairytale, we\u2019ll never know, but at least it has a happy ending.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"mb-4 text-xl font-bold md:text-2xl\"><i><span>Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs<\/span><\/i><i><span>\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/h2>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><img alt=\"Snow White\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"960\" height=\"677\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"rounded-lg\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/51bWti7Ydm3N1fLDbFyqwg--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTY3NztjZj13ZWJw\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/woman_s_world_418\/4aaca730ecb768ab036d3e8d084a5090\"\/><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-3 right-3 size-10 md:size-[50px] lg:inset-0 lg:size-full lg:bg-transparent\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-0 right-0 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"size-4 lg:size-6\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\"><path d=\"M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed inset-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<p><span><span>Snow White (1937)<\/span><br \/><span>Walt Disney Pictures\/ Courtesy: Everett Collection.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><span>Originally Published: 1812<\/span><span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><span>Author: The Brothers Grimm<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><span>While the Disney version of this tale is fairly similar to the original from 1812, there are a few details that are slightly different. In the first rendition, the Evil Queen makes four assassination attempts on Snow White, which doesn\u2019t occur in the Disney version.<\/span><span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><span>Another difference is that instead of the life-saving kiss between Snow White and the Prince, the Grimm\u2019s tale concludes with the Evil Queen being forced to dance in a pair of iron shoes and burning coal. Ouch!<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><strong>Keep reading for more entertainment!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.yahoo.com\/entertainment\/articles\/miley-cyrus-hints-20th-hannahversary-115048174.html\" data-ylk=\"slk:Miley Cyrus Teases \u2018Hannahversary\u2019 Plans for 2026\u2014Could a Hannah Montana Comeback Be Next?;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;outcm:mb_qualified_link;_E:mb_qualified_link;ct:story;\" class=\"link  yahoo-link\"><strong>Miley Cyrus Teases \u2018Hannahversary\u2019 Plans for 2026\u2014Could a Hannah Montana Comeback Be Next?<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.yahoo.com\/entertainment\/articles\/probably-forgot-4-freaky-friday-220051939.html\" data-ylk=\"slk:From \u201980s Sequels to a Musical: The \u2018Freaky Friday\u2019 Adaptations You Never Knew Existed;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;outcm:mb_qualified_link;_E:mb_qualified_link;ct:story;\" class=\"link  yahoo-link\"><strong>From \u201980s Sequels to a Musical: The \u2018Freaky Friday\u2019 Adaptations You Never Knew Existed<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.yahoo.com\/entertainment\/articles\/8-celebs-voiced-disney-characters-010028790.html\" data-ylk=\"slk:8 Disney Characters You Didn\u2019t Know Were Voiced by Famous Hollywood Stars;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;outcm:mb_qualified_link;_E:mb_qualified_link;ct:story;\" class=\"link  yahoo-link\"><strong>8 Disney Characters You Didn\u2019t Know Were Voiced by Famous Hollywood Stars<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><em> \u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em> \u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.yahoo.com \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The classic tales of your favorite Disney movies are as sweet as sugar \u2014 from the beautiful relationship in Beauty and the Beast to The Little Mermaid gaining her voice and ending up with the prince. But the origin stories behind these adorable cartoons aren\u2019t as charming as they are made out to be on-screen. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2069962,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[25172],"tags":[367725,23301,378261,318471,387606,320853],"class_list":["post-2069961","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-entertainment","tag-beauty-and-the-beast","tag-disney","tag-disney-movies","tag-everett-collection","tag-the-little-mermaid","tag-walt-disney"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/The-Dark-Stories-Behind-Your-Favorite-Disney-Princesses.jpeg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2069961","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2069961"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2069961\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2069963,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2069961\/revisions\/2069963"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2069962"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2069961"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2069961"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2069961"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}