While Disney’s Snow White makes numerous changes to Snow’s love interest, some might not even remember the original Prince’s name. There’s a fairly good reason for this. The Prince didn’t have a particularly large presence in Disney’s 1937 film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, and changes to the live-action Snow White’s story veer even further from the original Grimm tale than the animated film already did.
Putting Snow White’s dwarf controversy aside, Snow White’s cast of characters overall matches the original movie for the most part. However, since Disney’s Snow White significantly changes its lead male character, it’s worth questioning how well most fans of the original would recognize the Prince by name in the first place.
Prince Charming’s Real Name Is Prince Florian
A Prince By Any Other Name Would Be Just As Anonymous
Even excluding the original Snow White’s cut scene in which the Queen takes the Prince captive, the 1937 film significantly altered the character from the Grimm version. The fairy tale character didn’t meet Snow until near the end and played an active role in killing the Queen, unlike his animated counterpart. But one thing Disney’s Prince and the Grimm character have in common is that their name is never spoken out loud. Those familiar with past marketing for Disney on Ice, however, may be somewhat familiar with the name Prince Florian.
Although there’s no indication that Walt himself chose this name for the character, that’s not to say he didn’t inspire it indirectly. The name Florian bears a resemblance to Florimond from the 1916 silent film Snow White. Walt saw the silent film at age 15 and used it as inspiration for his own 1937 feature, so Florian’s name could be a sweet tribute to the studio’s founder. However, don’t expect to hear that name used for the guy siding with Snow White against Gal Gadot’s Evil Queen in Disney’s live-action remake. In fact, don’t expect the Prince at all.
Disney’s Live-Action Snow White Replaces The Prince With Jonathan
It’s Kind Of Like Tangled If Flynn Rider’s Friends Actually Liked Him
Rather than having Snow fall for a Prince who later finds her in the forest after presumably thinking she’d been ᴅᴇᴀᴅ for weeks, Disney’s Snow White pairs the princess with a bandit named Jonathan. And he won’t be alone. Jonathan will be accompanied by a team of seven other bandits that previous rumors had mistakenly ᴀssumed would replace the film’s iconic dwarfs, one of a few Snow White controversies
Although Jonathan’s based at least partly on the Prince, it’s unclear how important a role he plays in the story. He certainly seems to get more screen time than Florian, but it’s unclear how much impact he will truly have in the story. Either way, it remains to be seen how Disney’s Snow White will compare not only to the animated classic but also to the original Grimm version.