Bucket List Bonus! Attend the Coronation of a Disney Princess
The Royal Court of Disney Princesses gathered today to welcome Brave’s MERIDA as the 11th Disney Princess!
“Today we celebrate the Princess who has shown us all what it is to be truly brave. Hear Ye! Hear Ye! Across the Realm and beyond, this day we rejoice. We do hereby declare and confirm that by virtue of her fiery spirit, independence, and her unwavering bravery, Merida is officially welcomed into the Disney Princess Royal Court!”
Queen Elinor was present to place the crown on Merida’s head…
“Merida, in you I see the best of our land, and the best of our future. I’m proud of all that you are, and all that I know you’ll become. I am proud of you, my daughter.”
We welcome you with love, PRINCESS MERIDA!
Thank you so much for allowing me to share this event with you! The official part of this “Bucket List Bonus” is complete 
, but for anyone interested in my thoughts on Disney Princesses, you are welcome to read on…
I think Disney Princesses get a bit of a bad rap. And I understand where it comes from — the beauty of a Princess is so often the first point of focus, and there are so many things that are FAR more important than outer beauty. I think girls and women everywhere need to hear and understand that as many times as it takes, and even then it still won’t be enough to undo the damage that’s already been done. That’s a tough battle to fight in this world with its emphasis on appearance and materialism and, in a lot of ways, all the wrong things.
Add to that the perception that Disney Princesses are flighty, lacking in personality, and have nothing better to do than spend their time trapped in towers or dungeons waiting for Prince Charming to come to their rescue.
But I also think that if we really take a look at our Disney Princesses, we may find more than what meets the eye…
Cinderella lost her mother and later her father and was stuck with an evil stepmother and stepsisters who loved nothing more than to ridicule her and make her life completely miserable. And yet, even with all the ugliness life had thrown at her, she managed to be unfailingly kind-hearted and to never stop dreaming.
Jasmine is feisty, fast-thinking, and smart enough to recognize a diamond in the rough.
Tiana worked two exhausting jobs to save money to make her own dream come true… she wasn’t waiting for any man to come and save her.
Okay, so Rapunzel was indeed trapped in a tower… but she wasn’t rescued. She got herself out to grab her chance at life and find the lanterns.
Mulan brought honor to her family by becoming toughest soldier of them all.
Snow White is EXCEPTIONALLY TIDY!! …okay, it’s a bit difficult to say much more about Snow White. For Pete’s sake, she was the star of the first full-length cel animated feature film… it’s a miracle she could sing, dance or move at all 
! No, more seriously now… Snow White put forth enough loving-kindness that even Grumpy shed a tear when he believed her to be dead.
If Belle had been flighty and vain, she would’ve fallen for Gaston. Instead, she fell for the Beast, who had fallen in love with her compassion, intelligence, and patience.
Aurora loved her guardians as much as she would have loved her own parents.
Ariel is relatable in her rebellious streak, and admirable in her determination to fight for her place in the world.
Pocahontas was adventurous and brave. And what’s more… she was real. AND she’s from Virginia! Since I’m also from Virginia, I sort of think that RULES.
And we happily welcome you, Princess Merida! We love you for your wit, your courage, and the fact that you rejected every option for a Prince thrown at you because you wanted to define yourself on your own terms. (And I, for one, appreciate your untamable curly hair, to which I can personally relate, thankyouverymuch ).
In a world that far too often hands out things that are confusing, dark, and painful — and so often for no reason we can even attempt to understand — I will always welcome a Princess, and I will always root for her Happily Ever After.
