Updated: May 11th – Today at Merida’s royal coronation ceremony Queen Elinor made a first-ever appearance! It was so exciting to see Elinor and Merida interact on this Mother’s Day weekend and we hope that Disney will bring her back with the Limited Time Magic theme this year.
Ricky with Inside the Magic was one of the lucky attendees at the celebration and he was gracious enough to share his video with us. To see more photos from this royal celebration, visit Inside the Magic!
This Mother’s Day weekend on May 11th, Brave‘s very own Merida will become the 11th official Disney Princess in a royal coronation ceremony that will take place at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom.
We are thrilled that Merida will become a member of the Disney princess family on Mother’s Day weekend as Brave’s theme centers around the mother-daughter relationship – and we’re sure Disney will have a special surprise during the ceremony.
Brave Producer Katherine Sarafian recently had an interview with Disney Post (UPDATED: Link removed as it was no longer active on Disney’s blog) where she shares what special qualities Merida brings to the royal Disney princess court.
Q: What are some of Merida’s inner qualities that you admire most? That you think fans (especially moms and daughters) relate to the most?Â
Sarafian: I admire Merida’s drive – she is single-minded about her goals, and she does not let obstacles stop her from moving forward. Merida speaks her truth, even when her point of view is unpopular. She doesn’t back down from a challenge. I also appreciate Merida’s discipline and dedication. You don’t get to be a skilled archer like Merida without a LOT of practice, and Merida is willing to do that hard work.
Q: All of the Disney Princess characters have their own, special inner qualities. What qualities does Merida bring to the Disney Princess royal court?
Sarafian: Merida is an adventurer and a warrior. She fights her battles, advocates for what she believes in and asserts her point of view. She adores her family, her horse Angus and her sport, archery. Merida refuses to let others tell her who she is. These are such relatable qualities for girls today. I love that there is room for all kinds of girls in the royal court, all of which are inspiring role models. Merida is unlike any of the other Disney princesses we’ve seen.
Q: Yes, and not only is Merida unique, she is a modern-day princess who embodies qualities that resonate with moms and daughters today. What do you think it takes to be a princess and why do you think Merida is so relatable?
Sarafian:Â I know a lot of moms and daughters today who share more open communication and still have different points of view. Not every child wants the same future that her parents want for her, much like Merida. How many of us have chosen a different path in life, but still retained our parents’ love and respect? I know I have. Merida shows us that it’s OK to tell the world who we are. That’s a quality that I feel many girls can relate to today.
The Disney Wiki page stated quite a bit of interesting trivia regarding Merida as the newly announced Disney princess – here are just a few of those trivia tidbits:
- When Merida joins the Disney Princess franchise, she will be the second Disney Princess with freckles, with the first being Rapunzel.
- When Merida joins the Disney Princess franchise, she will be the second princess to have biological siblings (Ariel being the first).
- When Merida joins the Disney Princess franchise, she will be the first Disney/Pixar Princess to have siblings of the opposite gender (three triplet brothers to be exact), since the other Disney Princesses have sisters, stepsisters, or are an only child.
- When Merida joins the Disney Princess franchise, she will be the third princess to be wearing a cape. Snow White being the first and Aurora being the second.
