Fairy Tales: Do They All Live Happily Ever After?

What happens after the prince and princess ride off into the sunset in fairytales?

Since most of us grew up on fairytale endings, we’re kind of confused when real life doesn’t turn out exactly the way the fairy tales imply.

And there aren’t any paparazzi or Where-Are-They-Now? shows to update us on our mythical friends the way we get updates on our real-life stars. Wouldn’t it be great if there were? That way, we might not be stuck with such unrealistic expectations for the years following the big wedding.

To help fill this gap in our collective consciousness, here’s what happily-ever-after would probably look like for some of our favorite couples if they lived in the real world.

Sleeping Beauty and the Huntsman

You probably know that Sleeping Beauty was an only child and had a terrible accident when she was only 17 that caused her to fall into a coma for a long time. So long, in fact, that her parents died while she was in the coma. Then her handsome prince kissed and awakened her.

You likely don’t know that she and her prince had great communication and could talk for hours upon hours, but years later, Sleeping Beauty realized that she married her prince in haste. She was young, inexperienced, and in love. So, sometimes, she wonders if someone else might have been better.

As a result of her coma, Sleeping Beauty also has sleep apnea, which is causing other health problems. Thus, she’s on disability, and the resulting self-esteem issues are sadly undermining her relationship with her prince.

Rapunzel and Flynn Rider

Rapunzel’s dad was a thief and her mother was an addict; thus, Rapunzel was put in foster care at a very young age, forced to move away from her parents. Her foster mom was very strict and wouldn’t let her out of the house.

Rapunzel’s first boyfriend would sneak into the house to see her. They had plans to run away until the foster mom found out, cut Rapunzel’s hair, and sent her away.

Now, Rapunzel is in long term counseling to help with abandonment issues. And she’s battling chronic migraines, a residual affect caused by the weight of her hair.

Snow White and Prince Ferdinand

We all know that Snow White had a horrible step mom (who was very jealous of her natural beauty) and that seven dwarves helped nurse Snow White back to health after she was poisoned.

Fast forwarding to today, we find that Snow White has food allergies, especially to apples. She’s also a very picky eater and refuses to eat anything she hasn’t prepared herself. This means that they can never eat out at a restaurant or a friend’s house.

Her large family of “brothers” is overly burdensome. She’s tried so hard to transition them into regular community life that she even replaced their original, silly names with Hungarian ones. The jury is still out as to whether or not their new names will stick and they can overcome their eccentric behavioral patterns.

Morgo is really negative — some would say downright grumpy. Szundi is lazy and does nothing but sleep all day and night. Hapci is allergic to everything and constantly sneezes into a hanky that he keeps stuffed in a pocket.

Kuka has a caring heart, but not much going on upstairs, and he has recently been diagnosed with special cognitive needs. He’s also seeing a therapist for the after-effects of being called derogatory names and teased. Vidor sees the positive in everything and always seems happy, but he can also be entirely unrealistic.

Szende is so shy and bashful that he is housebound, but the more confident Tudor is nearly done with medical school and will make a fine doctor!

Because she has such an abundance of brothers and animals to dote on, Snow White doesn’t want kids. This is a source of continuing conflict, as Prince Ferdinand wants to start a family of their own as soon as possible.

Cinderella and Prince Charming

Cinderella lost her mom at an early age. Her father changed from a doting father to an absentee parent after he remarried, and he passed away shortly thereafter.  Cinderella’s step mom and stepsisters took advantage and were extremely cruel to her.

Now that Cinderella is married to the Prince, you’d think that all would be perfect!

But Cinderella has a big hole in her life from the loss of her mother and abandonment issues stemming from her father’s neglect and disappearance. She desperately needs to be liked by her stepmother and stepsisters and constantly tries to buy their love with kindnesses and gifts. She can’t say no to them and has big-time boundary issues.

And she’s OCD about cleaning and cooking – not only as a force of habit, but because she’s still trying to earn their love. Because cooking represents comfort, she’s also battling weight issues.

Princess and the Pea and Her Prince

The prince, searching for a sensitive princess, found his perfect match: an HSP (highly sensitive person).

Unfortunately, there won’t be any parties at the palace because loud sounds, strong smells, and clutter make the princess nervous and tense. The prince is constantly walking on eggshells – he feels like he can’t do anything right. He’s developing a drinking problem and is currently having an emotional affair with a castle brush lady who stops by regularly on her marketing trips.

Beauty and the Beast

Beauty is the baby of the family, and her older siblings are mean to her because she’s the favorite child. A bad financial turn left her whole family destitute.

She married a much older man when she was very, very young. He’s a good, patient man and treats her well, hoping that she’ll come to love him the way he loves her.

But Beauty seems to be embarrassed by her man’s lack of refinement and good looks, and she avoids community functions with him. She doesn’t include him in her activities. Her friends tell her that she has a great guy, but she doesn’t see the prince inside of the outward appearance.

As the years drag on, they can’t conceive. It’s taken a huge toll on their marriage, and they’ve spent their life savings on in-vitro fertilization. Beauty’s currently in therapy to help restore – or create – intimacy in her marriage.

Although things looked bleak for all the princes and princesses, when they woke up and realized that they needed help, at least one of the parties in each couple decided to seek outside help – and we’re not talking about a favorite gossip partner.

Under the care of a Licensed Fairytale Practitioner (LFP), the reporting parties are learning to take responsibility for their own sides in any conflicts or misunderstandings. They’re taking the time and effort to heal themselves and deal with any past baggage.

Over time, and as they relax and accept themselves, their mates are responding favorably. Some of the mates have sought therapy as well, while others are finding that life is much better and their relationship is improving over time.

In reality, there is always more to life than living happily ever after. For those who embrace and accept the past, as well as the changes and surprises that life brings along, life is good.

Wishing you your own (realistic) happily-ever-after,