Do Princess Stories Need to Be Historically Accurate?

Over the past several years, I have reviewed various princess media. The majority of the shows, books, and movies I've discussed have been rooted in fantasy with a few exceptions. Historically, princesses were the daughters of real-life monarchs and other leaders, but most of their appeal is rooted in legends, myths, and fairy tales. Sometimes, the lines between fantasy and reality can become blurred when using real historical figures as protagonists. In the case of media like Anastasia, Reign, or Six, audiences understand that the primary function of these presentations is to entertain them while throwing in some historical nuggets to do their own research on later if they so choose. It has recently come to my attention that there is a stigma revolving around Disney's Pocahontas, a movie I greatly enjoyed as a child, due to its numerous historical inaccuracies. Is it inherently immoral to enjoy a piece of historical fiction that colors the character's lives in a brighter and more pleasant light than their reality? Let's explore.

Much of Pocahontas's history has been lost to time, but there are some facts we do know about her life that contradict the events of the Disney movie. For instance, her family did not always refer to her as "Pocahontas" as her true name was Amonute, and her private family name was Matoaka. "Pocahontas" was a nickname meaning "playful one" due to her mischievous nature, which was captured beautifully in the film. It is also known hat the Disney movie aged her up a bit so they could turn the film into a tragic love story. In actuality, she was closer to ten years old around the time the events of the movie took place, but John Smith allegedly had a great deal of respect for her a truly believed she saved his life according to his own account, whether or not it was actually accurate. Since the story took place in the late 1500s, there is not as much recorded history from the time period than there would be with today's technology. Her story became a legend based on only a select few witness accounts.

Other changes include that Pocahontas actually did marry Kocoum, her fiancé who was killed in the film before they had a chance to say their vows. The Native American princess was later kidnapped and brought to England, where she was forced to marry John Rolfe after bearing his child and given a Christian name of Rebecca. The sequel, Pocahontas 2: Journey to a New World loosely follows this timeline by creating more of a consensual relationship between Pocahontas and John Rolfe. After this, she passed away on a ship back to Virginia at the age of only 21. The sequel gets criticism from both sides as more accurate by portraying a romance with someone that Pocahontas actually married and simultaneously less accurate by portraying her trip to England and successive marriage as a decision she made of her own volition. However,direct-to-video sequels of the early 2000s are generally not given the same amount of attention or respect as Disney's theatrical classics, so this Pocahontas 2 does not suffer the same level of scrutiny as the original.

When I was a child, I absolutely adored Pocahontas. I learned all of the songs, which were famously composed by Alan Menken, who wrote the soundtrack of the Disney Renaissance, and Stephen Schwartz, who later composed Wicked, one of the most successful Broadway musicals of all time. I saw Pocahontas herself as a spirited and compelling character with a great deal of depth who used her positive feminine traits of kindness and forgiveness to end a war without resorting to violence. The film also had a positive environmental message that was conveyed through Pocahontas's respect of Grandmother Willow, a talking tree that was definitely not rooted in historical accuracy. Pocahontas was one of the eight original Disney Princesses. Although she took a backseat to the main six, Snow White, Cinderella, Aurora, Ariel, Belle, and Jasmine in the early years, she was still heavily featured on a wide variety of merchandise.

Another movie I greatly enjoyed as a child was Anastasia, which presented a "What if?" scenario loosely based on the case of Anna Anderson, who claimed to be a survivor of the genocide of the Romanov family in the early 1920s. Although these claims were later proven false, Don Bluth used them to weave together a beautiful romantic fairy tale with some of the best hand-drawn animation ever seen theaters. This legend has gone on to inspire a Broadway musical and a Kickstarter game with very little push-back. For some reason, online naysayers are not as bothered by romanticizing the murder of the real Anastasia as they are of romanticizing the life of Pocahontas. I grew up admiring both of these characters and knew that the animated films were fantasy and that their real history was available through libraries and other educational resources if I became curious about the source material. Knowing that these magical tales had just a touch of reality in them made them all the more enchanting to watch.

The debate surrounding historical accuracy in princess media raises important questions about the responsibility of creators and the agency of audiences. While some argue that romanticizing historical figures is inherently immoral, others see it as a harmless exercise in creativity. As someone who grew up enchanted by Pocahontas and Anastasia, I believe that it's possible to appreciate these stories as fantasy while also respecting the real people behind the legends. By acknowledging the blurred lines between history and fantasy, we can continue to enjoy these tales while also seeking out the facts and respecting the complexity of the past. Ultimately, it's up to each individual to decide how to navigate these complexities, but by doing so thoughtfully and critically, we can ensure that these stories continue to captivate and inspire us for generations to come.