This past weekend, I went to see Disney's new (and very good) animated film Moana . There was a (genre aware) exchange between the title character and the demigod Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson Maui regarding whether or not the title character was a princess. Maui's evidence is as follows: she a) is "daughter of a chief," b) "wears a dress," and c) has "an animal sidekick." Of course, the definition of princess is typically understood as a woman who fit one of the two descriptions: is daughter of a monarch, or the wife or widow of a prince (in turn defined as the son of a monarch, a monarch in his own right, or the wife of a princess). Disney markets 11 individuals as "Disney Princesses": Snow White, Cinderella, Aurora, Ariel, Belle, Jasmine, Pocahontas, Mulan, Tiana, Rapunzel and Merida. They also market the two female protogonists (and daughters of monarchs) of Frozen, Anna and Elsa (who is in fact a monarch), in a similar man
