Evolution of the Princess Crown

There's no symbol more representative of a princess than a tiara. It's even the logo for my blog! Yet, a large number of iconic and beloved princesses do not feature them in their most iconic looks. Even Cinderella, the most famous princess of all, is best known for her animated silver ball gown with which she sports a matching headband instead of a crown. The first Disney Princess to be literally crowned was Aurora, who had a magical golden tiara created just for her by the Three Good Fairies in the 1959 adaptation of Sleeping Beauty. Since then, crowns have evolved with changing animation techniques and have been used sparingly for films, based on their context and symbolism.

It would be quite some time before another Disney Princess would get a tiara with her iconic look. Although Ariel's wedding dress included a veiled crown, it was only featured briefly and is far from one of her most memorable looks from the film. Jasmine followed in Cinderella's footsteps with a jeweled headband. Ironically, the only '90s princess with a memorable crown was not created by Disney. In Don Bluth's Anastasia, there is an iconic scene in which Anastasia's grandmother unveils a stunning crown that appears to be made of pure diamonds and places it on her head as her full transformation to Grand Duchess is revealed. This was a particularly important headpiece since it was inspired by the Kokoshnik Tiara, a real crown worn by many royal women throughout history.

One reason for the lack of formal princess headgear in early animated movies is the cost and labor of animating detailed accessories. With the advent of CGI, this became easier to manage, so the later generations of princesses had a wider selection of bejeweled accessories. This led to 2010's Tangled, which contains one of the most unique and iconic Disney Princess crowns to date. It's no wonder Flynn Rider wanted to steal such a precious piece, containing three diamond-like crystals surrounded by smaller rubies and sapphires inlaid on a gold setting. This beautiful crown was a stunning surprise for first-time viewers of the film compared to the glorified headbands they were used to seeing on princesses in the past. The ease of rendering CGI tiaras laid the groundwork for the detailed crowns on Sofia the First and Elena of Avalor, which premiered shortly after Tangled.

Disney knows how important tiaras are for princess fans to flaunt their identities. Last summer, they opened a make-your-own-tiara experience at their Crystal Arts store in both of their American theme parks. This is a premium experience for princess fans who might be considered too old for the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique but still want to have their own custom royal treatment. Purchasing a tiara includes selecting a style and receiving a special template with custom-sized inserts for colored gems. The princess or prince in question can then select their preferred gems from a large set of bins and arrange them in the template in any order they like. After that, the cast members will get to work creating their beautiful one-of-a-kind tiara to take home or wear for the rest of their day in the parks.

Tiaras are a coveted symbol of princess power, and their inclusion in iconic looks has evolved over time. Whether it's animated splendor or real-life sparkle, princess fans can't get enough of these glittering headpieces that symbolize their love of royalty. However, it is the girl, and not the crown, that truly denotes what it means to be a princess. Now, I'd love to hear from you. What's your favorite princess tiara moment, and do you have a custom tiara experience you'd like to share?