
The exact age of Sleeping Beauty when she fell asleep is unclear. In the original French tale by Perrault, the princess is not a young child when she pricks her finger and falls asleep, as she is betrothed to a young prince at her christening. In the 1959 Disney film, Sleeping Beauty is born after many childless years to King Stefan and Queen Leah, suggesting she is an infant when she falls asleep. In other variations of the tale, such as Sun, Moon, and Talia by Giambattista Basile, the sleeping beauty is named Talia, and she is grown up when she falls asleep after becoming intrigued by an old woman spinning outside her window.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of the princess | Aurora |
| Age when she woke up | 20 years old |
| Age when she fell asleep | 16 years old |
| Years slept | 100 years |
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What You'll Learn
- In the tale, Sleeping Beauty was woken up by a kiss from her true love, Prince Phillip
- The princess was betrothed to the prince at birth to unite their kingdoms
- She was cursed by an old fairy who was not invited to her christening
- The princess pricked her finger and fell asleep for 100 years
- The princess was named Aurora

In the tale, Sleeping Beauty was woken up by a kiss from her true love, Prince Phillip
The tale of Sleeping Beauty has been depicted in various ways, but the most common narrative involves a princess who falls into a deep sleep and can only be awakened by true love's kiss. In the original French tale by Perrault, the princess is not awoken by a kiss from her true love, Prince Phillip. Instead, she awakens on her own and converses with the prince for a long time before they marry in secret.
In the Disney adaptation, Sleeping Beauty, released in 1959, the princess is named Aurora and she is betrothed to Prince Phillip at her christening. In this version, Aurora falls into a deep sleep after pricking her finger on a spinning wheel, a curse inflicted by the evil fairy Maleficent. Prince Phillip, her true love, braves the forest of thorns surrounding the hidden castle and awakens her with a kiss.
In Giambattista Basile's dark version, Sun, Moon, and Talia, Talia is the sleeping beauty. As an adult, Talia sees an old woman spinning and, intrigued, takes the spindle. Unfortunately, she embeds a splinter of flax under her nail and falls asleep. A king discovers her and, struck by her beauty, falls to his knees. When she awakens, she converses with him, and they marry.
While the specifics vary, the core element of Sleeping Beauty's tale remains consistent: a beautiful princess falls into a deep sleep and is awakened by her true love, often with a kiss. The story emphasizes the power of love to conquer even the deepest enchantments and highlights the importance of destiny and selflessness in overcoming adversity.
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The princess was betrothed to the prince at birth to unite their kingdoms
The tale of Sleeping Beauty is a classic fairy tale that has been adapted and retold in various forms over the years. One of the most well-known versions is the 1959 Disney film, "Sleeping Beauty," which is based on the French fairy tale "La Belle au bois dormant." In this version, the princess Aurora is betrothed to Prince Phillip at birth to unite the kingdoms of her parents, King Stefan and Queen Leah, with those of Prince Phillip's father, King Hubert. This arrangement was made to strengthen the bond between the two kingdoms and secure their alliance.
The story begins with the christening of Princess Aurora, where she is bestowed with gifts by three good fairies: Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather. Flora gives her the gift of beauty, while Fauna grants her the gift of song. The arrangement of her betrothal to Prince Phillip is also made during this gathering, with the intention of forging a strong political alliance between their kingdoms.
As the story unfolds, Aurora, also known as Sleeping Beauty, falls into a deep sleep due to a spell cast upon her. This slumber lasts for a hundred years until she is awakened by true love's kiss from Prince Phillip. During this time, everyone in the castle, except for the King and Queen, also falls asleep, preserved by the magic of a good fairy. This fairy, with her powers of foresight, predicts that the Princess will be distressed upon awakening if she finds herself alone.
In some variations of the tale, such as the original French version by Perrault, the prince does not kiss the princess to wake her. Instead, he falls in love with her at first sight and converses with her for a long time. They eventually marry in secret, and the prince visits her for four years, during which she bears him two children. It is only after the prince ascends the throne that he brings his wife and children to his kingdom, introducing them as his royal family.
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She was cursed by an old fairy who was not invited to her christening
The exact age of Sleeping Beauty when she fell asleep is not clear, but it is implied that she was a young woman. In the original tale by Perrault, the princess is described as being "already fully dressed, and in most magnificent style" when she awoke, indicating a level of maturity. Furthermore, when she is awakened by the prince, they converse for a long time and are later married in the castle chapel. The text also mentions that the princess had "not much need of sleep," suggesting that she was not a young child.
However, in some variations of the story, such as the Disney film Sleeping Beauty (1959), the princess Aurora is presented as a young girl at the time of her christening, where she is cursed by Maleficent, the old fairy who was not invited. In this version, Aurora is betrothed to Prince Phillip as an infant, indicating that she is still a child when the curse is placed upon her.
In Giambattista Basile's version, titled Sun, Moon, and Talia, the sleeping beauty is named Talia, and she is a grown woman when she falls asleep. Intrigued by an old woman spinning outside her window, Talia invites her in and takes the distaff from her hand, accidentally embedding a splinter of flax under her nail, which causes her to fall asleep.
Overall, while the specific age of Sleeping Beauty when she fell asleep is not explicitly stated, it can be inferred from various versions of the tale that she was likely a young woman or a teenager, as she is described as radiant, magnificent, and having captured the heart of the prince.
The detail that an old fairy who was not invited to the christening cursed Sleeping Beauty is an intriguing aspect of the story. In the original tale, this fairy is not named and is referred to simply as the eighth fairy or the uninvited guest. However, in the Disney film, this character is known as Maleficent, a powerful and villainous fairy who was offended by not receiving an invitation to the christening. Maleficent's curse dooms the princess to a deep sleep, only to be awakened by true love's kiss, setting the stage for the classic fairy tale narrative.
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The princess pricked her finger and fell asleep for 100 years
The tale of Sleeping Beauty is a classic fairy tale that has been adapted and retold numerous times over the centuries. The story's central plot device involves a princess who pricks her finger and falls asleep for 100 years. In the original tale, the princess is named Aurora, and she is cursed by the evil fairy Maleficent. Maleficent was upset that she did not receive an invitation to Aurora's christening and, in retaliation, she curses the princess to prick her finger on a spinning wheel and fall into a deep sleep.
In some versions of the story, the princess is said to have been put under a spell that causes her to sleep for 100 years, only to be awakened by true love's kiss. This is the case in the Disney film adaptation, where Aurora is betrothed to Prince Phillip, and it is his kiss that breaks the spell and awakens her. In other versions, such as the original tale by Perrault, the prince does not kiss the princess to wake her, but rather, she awakens upon seeing him and falls in love with him afterward.
The exact age of the princess when she pricked her finger varies across different interpretations of the story. In the Disney film, Sleeping Beauty, Aurora is a young woman when she falls into her slumber, and she awakens at the age of 20, having not aged a day during her 100-year sleep. In other versions, such as the novel "Sleeping Beauty: The One Who Took the Really Long Nap" by Wendy Mass, the princess is specifically said to have been 16 years old when she pricked her finger and fell asleep for a century.
The concept of a long slumber brought on by a magical curse is a common theme in fairy tales and folklore, often symbolizing a form of escape or transformation. In the case of Sleeping Beauty, the princess's slumber serves as a test of true love and a demonstration of the enduring power of love and destiny. Despite the variations in her age and the specifics of the story, the core elements of the Sleeping Beauty tale remain consistent, capturing the imagination of audiences young and old.
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The princess was named Aurora
Aurora was blessed with gifts from three good fairies: Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather. Flora bestowed upon her the gift of beauty, while Fauna gave her the gift of song. The seventh fairy, who arrived in a dragon-drawn chariot, had great powers of foresight. She predicted that the princess would awaken in a hundred years, distressed to find herself alone in the old castle. To prevent this, the fairy put everyone in the castle, except the King and Queen, to sleep.
Aurora, dressed in magnificent clothing, was placed upon a bed of gold and silver embroidered fabric. The King and Queen kissed their daughter goodbye and left the castle, allowing no one to disturb her. The good fairy then summoned a forest of trees, brambles, and thorns to spring up around the castle, shielding it from the outside world.
A hundred years passed, and a prince from another royal family discovered the hidden castle during a hunting expedition. He was told stories of the castle, including one by an old man who recalled his father's words: within the castle lay a beautiful princess, doomed to sleep for a hundred years until awakened by a king's son. The prince was determined to find the princess and, as he approached the castle, the trees and brambles parted to let him through.
Upon entering the castle, the prince discovered Aurora asleep and was struck by her radiant beauty. He fell to his knees before her, and when he kissed her, the spell was broken. Aurora awakened and, along with the other castle dwellers, rose from their slumber. The princess and the prince fell in love and were married in the castle chapel.
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Frequently asked questions
Sleeping Beauty was a young princess when she fell asleep.
Sleeping Beauty slept for 100 years.
When Sleeping Beauty, whose name was Aurora, woke up, she fell in love with the prince who discovered her and they were married in the castle chapel.








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