Disney has made progress over the years with moving the focus of your average "Princess" or, at least, protagonist from love to family and friends. No longer are these young ladies' lives complete after marriage, for they have purposes that extend into honour and heroism. Here are Disney's greatest movies that aren't all about romance.
1. Pocahontas
While the entire film follows Pocahontas' interest in English settler Captain John Smith, she ultimately chooses instead to remain with her family after his return to England. After all, it's down to her that peace was made been the colonists and her tribe, and her father needed a strong heir to his leadership.
2. Frozen
Queen Elsa is arguably the main character in this beloved 2013 epic, and she has no interest in finding someone to share the throne with. She's got bigger things to worry about, given that she can't control her icy powers that have immersed the kingdom in an eternal winter. In fact, people are going as far as to suggest that she ought to become the first gay Disney princess - but why must love be on the cards at all?
3. Mulan
It's made very obvious at the end of this story that there's a blossoming romance between Mulan and Li Shang, but that was certainly the last thing on her mind throughout the movie. All she wanted to do was protect her father by illegally taking his place in the war between the Huns and the Chinese, and avoid being found out and punished along the way.
4. Mary Poppins
She obviously had a close friendship with jack-of-all-trades Bert, but this magical nanny was much more concerned with healing the rifts in the Banks family, particularly between Jane, Michael and their father George. Mary's purpose goes beyond the need to find a life companion, indeed she much prefers the company of animated characters.
5. Moana
Given that she is 16-years-old and therefore just as old as the average Disney Princess, you'd think that she would find love at some point in the movie. It's refreshing to see, though, that she is depicted as a girl rather than as a woman, and there's no love interest in sight. Maui is more of a father figure - or at least a brotherly one - in her adventure to bring peace to the citizens of her beloved island.
6. Finding Dory
It's not entirely obvious what Dory's place is Marlin's life, but there's never any suggestion of anything romantic. Indeed, they are best friends who have crossed oceans together, but Dory's focus is on finding her mother and father. The emphasis on family is obviously extremely important in modern Disney releases, and probably the most progressive move they've ever made.
7. Alice in Wonderland
In Tim Burton's adaptation of this 1951 animation, Alice is presented with a marriage proposal which she ultimately rejects. But in the original, there is no love interest for Alice at all. She's just a child - or at least she's stuck in a child-like world. She's the Dorothy Gale of the 19th century with odd friends in a parallel universe but no need to find a husband.
BONUS - Brave
This film is directly about a Princess doing everything in her power to maintain her freedom and avoid being married off; her mission in the entire film is NOT to find love. Arrow-flinging Princess Merida was so determined not to marry one of her parents' poorly selected suitors that she ended up turning her mother into a bear. Thus, this charming tale became one of healing a relationship between a stubborn teenage girl and her parents - a story that most families can indeed relate to.
Tagged in Disney