Prince Philip's Age In Sleeping Beauty: A Mystery

how old was prince philip in sleeping beauty

In Disney's 1959 animated feature film Sleeping Beauty, Prince Phillip is the deuteragonist and the love interest of Princess Aurora. While his exact age is not known, it is estimated that he is four to eight years older than Aurora, who is 16 years old. Prince Phillip is known for his bravery and heroism as he escapes Maleficent's castle, fights her minions and magic, and confronts her directly to save Aurora and the kingdom from eternal sleep.

Characteristics Values
Age 20 or 24
Hair colour Blond as a child, brown as an adult
Eye colour Brown
Personality Brave, heroic, easygoing, charismatic, endearing, sassy
Alignment Good
Weapon of choice Sword
Sidekick Unknown name
Horse Yes

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Prince Philip was brave and heroic

In Disney's 1959 animated feature film Sleeping Beauty, Prince Philip is known to be brave and heroic. He is the deuteragonist of the film and has a significant amount of dialogue, unlike the first two princes in Snow White and Cinderella. He is also the first Disney prince to be given a proper name and a developed character.

Prince Philip is brave and heroic in many ways throughout the film. Firstly, he falls in love with a peasant girl, unaware that she is Princess Aurora. Despite the potential consequences of defying his father's wishes, he chooses to follow his heart and risks everything to save the girl he loves. This includes escaping Maleficent's castle, fighting her minions, and confronting Maleficent directly. He even manages to escape certain death at the hands of Maleficent, who transforms into a dragon, by throwing his sword into her chest.

Prince Philip also displays courage by facing his fears. When Maleficent imprisons him in her dungeon, she taunts him with the knowledge that Briar Rose is actually Princess Aurora and reveals that Aurora has fallen under a curse of ageless sleep. Despite his anger and frustration, he maintains his composure and ultimately revives Aurora from her curse with a true love's kiss.

In addition to his bravery and heroism, Prince Philip is described as charismatic and endearing, with a sassy personality. He is able to subtly persuade people to do as he wants, such as bribing his horse with food or manipulating his father into agreeing to his marriage with Aurora. He is also the first Disney prince to use weapons himself to fight against the villain, showcasing his willingness to take action and protect those he loves.

Overall, Prince Philip's bravery and heroism in Sleeping Beauty make him a memorable and beloved character, and he continues to be an enduring example of courage and determination.

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He was voiced by Bill Shirley

In Disney's 1959 animated classic Sleeping Beauty, Prince Phillip was voiced by William Jesse Shirley, also known as Bill Shirley. Shirley was an American actor, tenor/lyric baritone singer, and later a Broadway theatre producer.

Bill Shirley was born in Indianapolis, Indiana, on July 6, 1921. His father, Luther James Shirley, was a funeral director, and his mother, Inez Shirley, was a well-known professional pianist. Shirley's mother first discovered her son's talent when he was around five years old, as he began singing along to what she was playing on the piano. She directed him to the founder of the Ogden Chorale, who was impressed by the child's vocal ability, expressive eyes, and unusual personality for his age.

Shirley was approached by the Walt Disney Company to voice Prince Phillip in Sleeping Beauty. His singing range was tenor/baritone, with a youthful quality that was ideal for the young prince. Before being cast, Shirley and Mary Costa, who voiced Princess Aurora, were asked to audition together to ensure their voices complemented each other. During production, Shirley and actor Ed Kemmer served as live-action reference models for Prince Phillip, performing sequences from the movie for the animators to draw.

Bill Shirley had previously worked as a ghost singer for 20th Century Fox, dubbing vocals for films such as Oh, You Beautiful Doll (1949) and Dancing In The Dark (1949). He also had vocal roles in Come to the Stable (1949), Nancy Goes to Rio (1950), and With a Song in My Heart (1952).

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He was imprisoned by Maleficent

In Disney's 1959 animated feature film "Sleeping Beauty", Prince Phillip is imprisoned by Maleficent. Phillip was the first Disney prince to be given a proper name and a developed character. He was named after the prince that Americans knew of best at the time, Prince Philip, the late Duke of Edinburgh and husband of Queen Elizabeth II.

Maleficent, the self-proclaimed "Mistress of All Evil", cursed Princess Aurora as a baby. On her sixteenth birthday, Aurora would prick her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel and die. To protect her, three good fairies, Merryweather, Flora, and Fauna, moved Aurora to a cottage in the forest and changed her name to Briar Rose.

On her sixteenth birthday, Aurora went to gather berries, and while there, she met a man. Unbeknownst to her, the man was Prince Phillip, who had fallen in love with her without knowing she was a princess. When the fairies learned that the man Aurora had met was a stranger, they told her she could not see him again. However, Maleficent lured Aurora to a tower room, where she cast her spell, causing Aurora to fall into ageless sleep.

Phillip was captured by Maleficent and imprisoned in the dungeon of her castle, the Forbidden Mountain. While chained to the dungeon walls, Maleficent revealed to Phillip that Briar Rose was Princess Aurora and that she had been cursed with ageless sleep. The curse could only be broken by true love's kiss. Maleficent planned to keep Phillip locked up for 100 years and then release him, by which time he would be an old man, if not dead, and Aurora would still be a 16-year-old girl.

The three good fairies intervened and released Phillip, arming him with the Sword of Truth and the Shield of Virtue. They aided him in returning to Stefan's castle, but Maleficent created a maze of thorns to block his way. Phillip fought against Maleficent and her dragon, ultimately defeating them and escaping with his life.

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He was named after a real prince

In Disney's 1959 animated feature film Sleeping Beauty, Prince Phillip is the love interest of Princess Aurora and the leading male character. He is the son of King Hubert and Queen Ingrith. Prince Phillip is known to be brave and heroic, easygoing, charismatic, and endearing. He is also portrayed as having a sassy personality.

Prince Phillip was named after Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, the husband of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom. According to some sources, Prince Phillip in the classic fairytale was inspired by the late British royal. This could also explain why Sleeping Beauty’s Prince Phillip was the first Disney prince to have a name. He was one of the few real princes familiar to the animators. Unlike the first two princes from Snow White and Cinderella, Phillip is much more active in the storyline and has a considerable amount of dialogue.

However, UCLA animation lecturer Charles Solomon refutes this claim, calling it an "urban myth". He states that he has never read or heard anything to support these claims, neither in interviews with the artists nor in the Disney archives. Solomon further adds that he doubts that the Duke of Edinburgh received that much attention in America in the mid-1950s when the film was being made and that the Disney artists would not have been interested in him.

In the film, Prince Phillip falls in love with a forest-dwelling peasant girl, unaware that she is Princess Aurora, to whom he was betrothed for political unity. Despite the arranged marriage, he risks everything to save Aurora and the kingdom from perpetual sleep. With the help of the fairies, Phillip returns to Stefan's castle, but Maleficent causes a maze of thorns to grow around the castle and blocks his way. He battles Maleficent, who transforms into an enormous dragon, and kills her by throwing his sword, magically empowered by Flora, into the dragon's heart. Phillip then awakens Aurora with a kiss, and they marry, fulfilling the intention of their parents to unite the kingdoms.

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He was 4 years older than Aurora

In Disney's 1959 animated feature film Sleeping Beauty, Prince Phillip is four years older than Princess Aurora. At 20 years old, Phillip is brave, heroic, charismatic, and endearing. He is also quite persuasive, as seen when he bribes his horse with food and manipulates his father into agreeing that he should marry the girl he loves. Phillip is the first Disney prince to be given a proper name and a developed character. He is named after the prince that Americans knew of best at the time, Prince Philip, the late Duke of Edinburgh, and husband of Queen Elizabeth II.

Phillip is betrothed to King Stefan's daughter, Princess Aurora, as a means of uniting their kingdoms. However, he falls in love with a "peasant girl" in the forest, unaware that she is actually Aurora. After discovering their true identities, he risks everything to save his love, their family, and the kingdom from eternal sleep. Phillip displays courage by escaping Maleficent's castle, combating her minions and magic, and confronting her directly. Despite his fear, he ultimately revives Aurora from her curse with a true love's kiss.

Phillip is the first Disney prince to use weapons himself to fight against the villain. He escapes Maleficent's powerful flames, swinging his sword while the dragon snaps at him. As he is cornered at the cliff's edge, Maleficent blasts his shield away, rendering him defenceless. However, the good fairies magically empower his sword, and Phillip throws it into the dragon's chest. Phillip narrowly escapes as the dragon's weight causes the ledge to crumble, sending Maleficent to her demise.

In addition to his bravery and charisma, Phillip is portrayed as a young child at the beginning of the film when Aurora is still an infant, further emphasising the age difference between them. Despite the relatively small age gap compared to other Disney couples, some viewers find the dynamic between the teenage Aurora and the slightly older Phillip problematic, given that Aurora is a minor.

Frequently asked questions

It is believed that Prince Phillip was 20 years old in Sleeping Beauty. However, some sources state he was 24.

Princess Aurora was 16 years old in Sleeping Beauty.

Prince Phillip was named after Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh and husband of Queen Elizabeth II.

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