Prince Philip Was The Inspiration Behind This Classic Disney Character

Disney fans might know this already, but did you realize that Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, inspired the name of Sleeping Beauty‘s prince?

The prince in the 1959 animated classic movie was the first ever Prince to get a name and Disney turned to British royalty for inspiration.

The first two Princes that appeared in princess movies were Snow White and Cinderella. However, they weren’t actually given names.

Although, Snow White’s prince is referred to as Florian by some fans, and Cinderella’s is simply, Prince Charming.

The Prince in Sleeping Beauty was given the Duke of Edinburgh’s name because it was a familiar name to many Americans. The animated Prince was also the first “active” prince as well, and given many speaking lines.

When Sleeping Beauty hit theaters, Philip and his wife, Queen Elizabeth II, had only been married for 12 years, and she had been Queen for just seven.

Prince Philip passed away at the age of 99 today, and many including his children and grandchildren, paid tribute to the royal.