15 Disney Princesses (and Princes!) With Their Real-Life Royal Counterparts
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They say art imitates life, and after some careful investigation of beloved Disney characters, we're almost positive that it's true. We've already examined celebrities who look like Disney royalty, but we've come to realize that many of those animated princesses (and princes!) look eerily like modern-day royals. We're going beyond our favorite princessy subject, Kate Middleton — we've selected a handful of real-life royals from everywhere from Norway to Bhutan, and their fictional counterparts. Whether you're an Elsa fan or you find yourself obsessing over Ariel, you'll have to pick your jaw up off the floor.
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Princess Jasmine/Princess Ameera al-Taweel of Saudi Arabia
The feisty heroine from Aladdin bears a striking resemblance to Saudi Princess Ameera, who uses her own passionate personality to advocate for women's rights and lobby for the underprivileged.
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Princess Aurora/Princess Stéphanie, Hereditary Grand Duchess of Luxembourg
The sweet-natured heroine of Sleeping Beauty shares the same wavy blond locks and cheerful smile as the heiress to the throne of Luxembourg, who also has a master's degree in German philology.
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Human Beast/Andrea Casiraghi of Monaco
Prince Adam, the human beast from Beauty and the Beast, looks uncannily similar to Andrea Casiraghi, Grace Kelly's grandson and fourth in line to the Monegasque throne.
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Pocahontas/Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana of Thailand
Fiercely independent Native American princess Pocahontas is the spitting image of Thai Princess Sirivannavari, a fashion designer and accomplished badminton player.
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Cinderella/Princess Charlene of Monaco
Cinderella's elegance is matched by that of Princess Charlene, who swam on the South African Olympic team and recently welcomed twin babies named Jacques and Gabriella.
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Belle/Her Royal Highness Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge
The bookish beauty from the aptly named Beauty and the Beast might remind you of another intelligent, independent brunette: our favorite royal, Kate Middleton.
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Flynn Rider/Prince Carl Philip of Sweden
While it's yet to be determined whether the striking Swedish Prince Carl Philip shares outlaw-turned-prince Flynn Rider's knack for "the smolder," his royal highness looks nearly identical to the Tangled character.
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Mulan/Queen Ashi Jetsun Pema of Bhutan
You don't meet a girl like Mulan in every dynasty, but the queen of Bhutan (whose Bhutanese title translates to "dragon queen") might give the female war hero a run for her money.
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Queen Elsa/Princess Mette-Marit of Norway
If the ice queen from Frozen wasn't modeled after this commoner-turned-Crown Princess of Norway, we'd be shocked — their white-blond hair, charming smiles, and humanitarian concern for their subjects are identical.
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Princess Merida/Princess Lalla Salma of Morocco
Princess Lalla Salma shares a radical streak with the protagonist from Brave. Much like Merida, who wanted to shirk tradition when it came to her arranged marriage, the Moroccan princess is the first wife of a Moroccan ruler to earn her own royal title.
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Rapunzel/Former Princess Alexandra von Furstenberg
Goofy Rapunzel won our hearts in Tangled, much like Alexandra won her ex-mother-in-law Diane von Furstenberg over . . . enough to earn the title of image director at DVF, even after divorcing and losing her royal title!
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Aladdin/Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum of Dubai
While the hero of Aladdin is known as the "prince of thieves," Hamdan (a competitive horseback rider) holds the title of Crown Prince of Dubai.
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Snow White/Charlotte Casiraghi of Monaco
Granddaughter of Grace Kelly, an accomplished equestrian, fashion icon, and environmental magazine editor, Charlotte Casiraghi has delicate features similar to the first animated Disney princess, Snow White.
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Princess Tiana/Sasha Obama, Daughter of the President, United States
Arguably the most hardworking and driven Disney princess, Tiana from The Princess and the Frog is a great example for 14-year-old Sasha Obama, whose academic, athletic, and artistic inclinations will help her go far in life.
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Princess Ariel/Princess Beatrice of York
Just like The Little Mermaid's Ariel is the seventh of Triton's daughters, redheaded Princess Beatrice is seventh in line to the English throne.