Marie Claire UK Marie Claire UK
  • Fashion Fashion
      • Fashion
        • View all Fashion
        • Fashion Trends
        • Shopping
        • Watches and Jewellery
        • Fashion News
  • Beauty Beauty
      • Beauty
        • View all Beauty
        • Fragrance
        • Hair
        • Make Up
        • Skincare
        • Nails
        • Marie Claire Beauty Awards
  • Health Health
      • Health
        • View all Health
        • Fitness
        • Nutrition
        • Female Health
        • Wellbeing
  • Life Life
      • Life
        • View all Life
        • Opinions
        • Travel
        • Sustainability
        • Weddings
        • Money & Work
        • Competitions
  • Culture Culture
      • Culture
        • View all Culture
        • TV and Film
        • Celebrity News
        • Books
        • Royal News
  • Vouchers Vouchers
      • Clothing
        • View all Vouchers
        • Mint Velvet
        • Karen Millen
        • H&M
        • nobody's child
        • ASOS
        • ARKET
        • MANGO
      • Designer Clothing
        • View all Vouchers
        • Reiss
        • THE OUTNET
        • SSENSE
        • Mytheresa
        • Liberty London
        • Selfridges
        • Farfetch
      • Accessories
        • View all Vouchers
        • AllSaints
        • Aspinal of London
        • Charles & Keith
        • River Island
        • FitFlop
        • Kate Spade
        • Vagabond
      • Jewellery
        • View all Vouchers
        • Pandora
        • Abbott Lyon
        • Goldsmiths
        • Beaverbrooks
        • Astrid & Miyu
        • Swarovski
        • Angara Jewellery
      • Beauty
        • View all Vouchers
        • Sephora
        • Cult Beauty
        • Space NK
        • Dyson
        • Clarins
        • Look Fantastic
        • Clinique
      • Activewear
        • View all Vouchers
        • Lululemon
        • Gymshark
        • Sweaty Betty
        • Nike
        • adidas
        • New Balance
        • Helly Hansen
  • NEWSLETTER Signup to our newsletter
  • logoCreated with Sketch.
    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!


    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    You are now subscribed

    Your newsletter sign-up was successful


    An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
    Trending
    • Women in Sport 2026
    • Marie Claire Masters
    • Autumn Winter 2026
    • Nail Trends 2026
    • Best Investment Bags
    • Best Perfumes
    1. Culture
    2. TV and Film

    This is apparently the most popular Disney Princess of all time...

    And we're not very happy about it

    Jenny Proudfoot's avatar
    By Jenny Proudfoot
    Published 19 May 2016 In Features

    When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

    • Facebook
    • X
    • Pinterest
    Share this article
    Join the conversation
    Follow us
    Add us as a preferred source on Google
    Subscribe to our newsletter

    And we're not very happy about it

    During childhood Disney Princesses are like big sisters – ones that we looked to at every turn. Everyone had a favourite - we dressed like them, quoted them, mimicked their movements (with some of us even singing to birds and squirrels) and most importantly, we were fiercely loyal to them.

    So when Whisper uploaded a public poll, asking women to vote for their favourite, many took to the site to vote for their Disney Princess of choice. We’re glad to know we’re not the only ones taking this seriously.

    After a whopping 80,000 votes, it was revealed that the most popular Disney Princess of all time is…Cinderella.

    Yes we’re serious! Cinderella.

    You may like
    • Emotionally Unavailable Men: Jacob Elordi and Margot Robbie in Wuthering Heights Why Are We Still Glamourising Emotionally Unavailable Men?
    • Marie Claire Fragrance Awards 2026: Modern Classics These Modern Classics Will Stand the Test of Time, According to Our Marie Claire UK Fragrance Awards Judges
    • Andy Burnham and Marie-France van Heel entering 10 Downing Street “Are We Just Jealous?” Victoria Moss Unpacks the Sexist, Ageist Commentary Around Marie-France van Heel’s Victoria Beckham Dress

    A controversial (read: wrong) decision if you ask us, or you know… anyone else.

    No offence to Cinders but we've got to call this one out. And it seems we’re not alone with Disney fans across the globe challenging the result online.

    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!

    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    Yes OK, her hubby is charming and she lives in an awesome castle, but isn't she also just a bit... vanilla?

    She doesn’t run off to fight the Huns or protect her land from colonizers, she just talks to birds and sweeps – almost on par dull-wise with Snow White. Yes Snow White is a nice person and her make up is flawless, but she also eats a dodgy apple pretty early on and falls asleep for the entire film – not really the female protagonist that dreams are made of.

    Dissatisfied with the poll’s final result, we did our own tally in the Marie Claire office to see who was MC’s most popular Disney Princess. Here are our favourites… 1. Ariel, The Little Mermaid: 9 votes ‘I was a ginger child (although my mum denied it) and Ariel was ginger and loving it. And she was also a ginger MERMAID.’ Holly Rains, deputy digital editor

    What to read next
    • Wedding planning I Love My Fiancé, but I Resent the Emotional Labour of Planning Our Wedding
    • Massimo Dutti Lyst This High Street Store Is Competing With Chanel, Miu Miu, Dior and Saint Laurent—According to the 2026 Lyst Index
    • a close up shot of the eye makeup of a model from Millet fashion show - best mascara You Can Stop Looking—We Have Found 21 Of The Best Mascaras For Length, Volume and Definition

    2. Mulan: 7 votes ‘She ran away to war, brought honour to her ancestors, predicted the topknot trend, had a dragon as a sidekick…oh and she saved China. Enough said really.’ Jenny Proudfoot, features assistant

    3. Pocahontas: 5 votes ‘Pocahontas was my favourite, possibly because I wanted a pet raccoon to plait my hair and I was just obsessed with that turquoise necklace.’ Caroline Leaper, digital junior editor

    4. Jasmine, Aladdin: 4 votes ‘She was the only Disney Princess who was slightly ethnic… plus Aladdin was hot.’ Anita Bhagwandas, senior beauty editor

    5. Belle, Beauty and the Beast: 3 votes ‘She may date a beast for the majority of the film, but she’s beautiful, independent and she’s best friends with Lumiere.’Charlotte Clarke, beauty assistant

    6. Aurora, Sleeping Beauty: 2 votes ‘I can totally relate to Aurora’s laziness. Sleeping for 100 years? Yes please. Sounds like a dream.’ Ciara Sheppard, digital writer

    7. Merida, Brave: 1 vote ‘She has great hair, not to mention she’s a pretty good archer!’ Hannah Lyons Powell, digital editor

    7. Anna, Frozen: 1 vote ‘She just rocks: she’s got tonnes of character, balls, doesn’t give up in the face of danger. She’s everything a princess should be – Elsa’s a miserable bitch. People just prefer her because she’s blonde and that’s really depressing.’ Lauren Franklin, digital writer

    Sorry Cinders, but you didn’t even place. Us Marie Claire girls seem to like the strong, outspoken go-getters of the Disney Princess posse, that’s for sure.

    Jenny Proudfoot
    Jenny Proudfoot
    Social Links Navigation
    Contributing Features Editor

    Jenny Proudfoot is an award-winning journalist, specialising in lifestyle, culture, entertainment, international development and politics. After working at Marie Claire UK for seven years - rising from intern to Features Editor - she is now a freelance contributor to the News and Features section.

    In 2021, Jenny was named as a winner on the PPA's '30 under 30' list, and was also listed as a rising star in journalism.

    Read more
    Emotionally Unavailable Men: Jacob Elordi and Margot Robbie in Wuthering Heights
    Relationships Why Are We Still Glamourising Emotionally Unavailable Men?
    Marie Claire Fragrance Awards 2026: Modern Classics
    Fragrance These Modern Classics Will Stand the Test of Time, According to Our Marie Claire UK Fragrance Awards Judges
     
     
    Andy Burnham and Marie-France van Heel entering 10 Downing Street
    Fashion “Are We Just Jealous?” Victoria Moss Unpacks the Sexist, Ageist Commentary Around Marie-France van Heel’s Victoria Beckham Dress
    Wedding planning
    Relationships I Love My Fiancé, but I Resent the Emotional Labour of Planning Our Wedding
     
     
    Latest in TV and Film
    We Finally Know What To Expect From Leighton Meester’s Character in Nobody Wants This
    TV and Film One Surprising A-Lister Is Joining the Nobody Wants This Season Three Cast
    Lily Collins in Emily in Paris
    TV and Film Emily in Paris Fans Have Been Mourning a ‘Bittersweet’ Update About Season Six
     
     
    There has been a huge update for The White Lotus season 4
    TV and Film ‘Two Weeks in August’ Has Been Dubbed the 'British White Lotus' – Here’s What We Know About It
    Helena Bonham Carter attends the 2024 BAFTAs
    TV and Film One Cast Member Has Spoken Out About Helena Bonham Carter Leaving The White Lotus
     
     
    Latest in Features
    Woman organizing documents in cluttered office workspace
    Money and Work Why Are Successful Women Staying in Jobs That Make Us Miserable?
    Celebrity twin makeup
    Beauty I Discovered the Perfect, Expert-Devised Makeup Routine–Thanks to My Celebrity Lookalike
     
     
    The Second-Hand Survival Guide: How to Shop Smarter
    Fashion I’m a Sustainable Fashion Expert: My Top Tips for Avoiding Fakes When Shopping Pre-Loved Designer
    Pilates instructor and MC UK Master Ashlea McKee demonstrating the Pilates mind-body connection
    Fitness I've Taught Pilates for Almost a Decade: If You’re Not Seeing Results, You May Be Skipping This Simple Step
     
     
    logoCreated with Sketch.
    • Site Archive
    • Contact Future's experts
    • Contact us
    • Terms and conditions
    • Advertise with us
    • Privacy policy
    • Cookies policy
    • About us
    Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google

    Marie Claire UK is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

    © Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.