Fun Fact: Pretty Much All the Disney Princesses Are Sulky Teenagers
There's no denying it: all of the official Disney princesses went through a lot of heavy sh*t. I mean, it should come as no surprise, seeing as most of the films are based on rather dark fairy tales. But still, these damsels have to deal with an army of Huns, wicked stepmothers, a group of dangerous white men who want to kill "savages" . . . you get the picture. Perhaps the most shocking aspect of these characters — that is, aside from the fact that they face all these dangers head on and sing some pretty catchy songs to boot — is that they're basically all teenagers. Yep, we did a little research into the ages of these characters, and the results were surprising, to say the least.
Snow White
Snow White's age isn't explicitly stated in Snow White. The press materials at the time allegedly included her age, but it's widely accepted that she's the youngest princess at age 14.
Jasmine
While Jasmine's age isn't explicitly stated in Aladdin, it's commonly believed she's 15. Her father intends to marry her off when she's "of age" (16) and says they must find her a suitor "before her next birthday."
Ariel
In The Little Mermaid, Ariel says, "I'm 16 years old! I'm not a child anymore!"
Mulan
Mulan's pursuit of a potential male suitor begins as soon as she turns 16.
Merida
Like Mulan, Merida must begin selecting her mate as soon as she turns 16.
Aurora
According to Maleficent's curse, Aurora pricks her finger as soon as she turns 16.
Pocahontas
Many believe that Pocahontas was to marry Kocoum as soon as she turned 18, so that's her generally accepted age in the film.
Rapunzel
At the beginning of Tangled, Rapunzel talks to Mother Gothel about how she's turning 18.
Cinderella
Cinderella is another film that doesn't explicitly state the age of the princess. According to many sources, though, Cinderella is 19 years old.
Tiana
Many sources say Tiana is 19 in The Princess and the Frog, but it's not explicitly stated. She has a steady job as a waitress, supports herself, has big dreams, and seems pretty responsible. I'd say 19 seems like a good guess.
Belle
Many believe Belle is 17, but according to the chief animator for Beauty and the Beast, she's actually in her early 20s.