There's A Theory That The Prince In Sleeping Beauty Was Based On Prince Philip

The sad news of the death of Prince Philip last week has thrust an intriguing Disney fan theory back into the spotlight.

It turns out Disney fans are convinced Prince Philip was the inspiration behind his namesake in the 1959 animated classic Sleeping Beauty.

And the evidence is pretty convincing...

Many have pointed out that heartthrob in Disney's animated classic was the first prince to ever receive a first name, as the princes in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) and Cinderella (1950) are never named.

In Snow White the prince is simply known as The Prince whereas Cinderella's prince is known as Prince Charming.

If you ask us, the theory is pretty plausible.

Sarah Dunnigan, a lecturer in at the University of Edinburgh who has researched fairy tale traditions says she believes there could be a link between Disney's first named Prince and the late Duke of Edinburgh "due to the huge popularity and idealisation of the British royal family in America in the late 1950s".

However, Charles Solomon, a lecturer in animation at the UCLA school of theatre, film and television and animation critic and historian believes the link is nothing more than an "urban myth."

He told Tyla that Sleeping Beauty is a film he has researched thoroughly, adding: "I've never come across anything to support this idea, not in the interviews with the artists, nor in the Disney archives.

"Frankly, I doubt the Duke of Edinburgh got that much attention in the America in the mid 50's when the film was being made or that the Disney artists would have had much interest in him."

We'll leave it to you to decide if it's true.