Some of the most popular princesses include the one's mentioned in fairy tales. Many people mistakenly believe that Walt Disney created these princesses, but in fact, they were mentioned in folklore for hundreds of years before Walt brought them to life on the silver screen.
Snow White is indeed one of Disney's most beloved and treasured princesses. However, Snow White was circulating in Europe during the 1800's. In Germany, she was called, 'Schneewittchen'. And the Brothers Grimm brought her to life through their tales and stories. However, it wasn't until Walt Disney released its movie that Snow White became an American household name. Some of the stories that circulated the globe that featured Snow White or a character that bears a striking resemblance to Snow White include The Tale of the Dead Princess and the Seven Knights and A Book of Dwarfs.
Sleeping Beauty is the next princess that Walt Disney has immortalized. Sleeping Beauty can be traced back to the year 1697, when Charles Perrault penned it, under the title, 'La Belle au Bois dormant'. There was also an older version entitled, 'Sun, Moon, and Talia', that circulated in 1634. Most notably, Tchaikovsky brought Sleeping Beauty to light with his ballet, however it wasn't until the year 1959, when Walt Disney truly made Sleeping Beauty a character that little girls everywhere could identify with. When Walt Disney released Sleeping Beauty, he had spent 6 million dollars, the most ever spent on a movie at that point. It was well worth the expense, however, as Sleeping Beauty continues to be one of the most cherished princesses of all time.
Cinderella may be one of the oldest fairy tales ever recorded. In fact, the first known telling of Cinderella is from the first century B.C. During the year 860 A.D., a version of Cinderella circulated in China. It was known as Ye Xian, and featured a maiden with tiny feet. In fact, the practice of foot binding in China is often attributed to the tale. Charles Perrault wrote his version in 1897. The Brothers Grimm wrote their version, entitled Aschenputtel, and since then, Walt Disney created his hit classic, Cinderella.
Hans Christian Anderson wrote The Little Mermaid in 1836. Starring, Ariel, The Little Mermaid has gone on to be one of the most beloved stories of love and romance. Ariel made her Disney debut in 1989 and has since secured her place as one of Disney's most popular princesses.
Finally, Belle from Beauty and the Beast continues to be one of the most popular princesses of all time. This story, like Cinderella has endured for centuries. Some of the earliest tales date back to the second century A.D. Charles Perrault wrote about the story in 1697, but it wasn't until Disney released the movie in 1991 that Belle officially joined the ranks as an official princess.