Kingship, the Little Lame Prince

The corontation of now King Dolor, the main character of the Little Lame Prince. While Prince Dolor was banished from the kingdom, he eventually returns to reclaim the throne from his uncle. Throughout the early story, the people of the castle as well as the kingdom held stigma against the Prince because of his disability, leading them to dismiss the Prince: "For somehow people soon ceased to call him his Majesty, which seemed such a ridiculous title for a poor little fellow, a helpless cripple.” The image is the Prince reclaiming his right to become the King, therefore outshining their…

This image, taken from a 1909 edition of the story, portrays the scene of the Prince's christening right before he is accidentally dropped. With regard to kingship and the pomp and circumstance surrounding it, the lavishness that was poured into these social gatherings, were held as an important and crucial ceremony for newly-born royals. As seen in the image, there is long processions, countless people, and celebration abound. All the hustle and bustle, things happening, and the probable noise, it is quite plainly obvious as to how Dolor was inadvertantly dropped. When royalty pulls out…

Alexei Nikolaevich, tsesarevich (heir apparent) to Russia, suffered from hemophilia, a medical condition where blood does not clot properly leading to an inability to stop bleeding when injured. Like Prince Dolor, Alexei was the sole heir to the Russia, although Alexei was not removed from the royal succession line due to his disability nor was he isolated from the public eye, but was instead sheltered from anything that could lead to him being hurt. His parents kept him under extremely careful watch to keep him from being injured, but the prince was apparently quite unhappy…

This painting is a satirical depiction of King George IV, ruler of the United Kingdom from 1820 until his death in 1830. In his life, he developed a condition called Dropsy, or Edema, causing him to suffer from swelling in his legs and abdomen due to fluid retention. He also was severely obese which contributed to his gout, an inflamatory condition affecting his joints, leaving him frequently unable to walk. This is shown on his left foot in this image as his foot is wrapped to keep the foot warm, as cold weather could worsen the gout symptoms. King George IV is represneted in this gallery…

At the end of the story, the Prince, now King Dolor, hands his Kingdom off to the Prince Regent.

"'Yes, I must go. It is time for me to go. Remember me sometimes, my people, for I have loved you well. And I am going a long way, and I do not think I shall come back any more." He drew a little bundle out of his breast pocket—a bundle that nobody had ever seen before" (Mulock).

King Dolor takes out his travelling cloak after many years and again floats in the air, just as he did many years ago. 

This picture captures Prince Leopold (later Duke of Albany) at the age of 10.

Starting with Queen Victoria, the British royal bloodline was inflicted with hereditary hemophilia. Prince Leopold was the only son of Queen Victoria to inherit hemophilia; he died at just 30 years of age, during a vacation to Cannes which was done for his joint issues that were themselves borne from his condition. In all the pictures of Prince Leopold, it is apparent that Leopold was very dependent on mobility aids. When standing, Leopold is always holding either his cane or nearby furniture;…

When Prince Dolor meets his godmother for the second time, speaking of her love for him, she finally tells him of his disability and explains that he will never run and play like other little boys. Interestingly, however, like the nurse later in the story, she does not think less of Dolor for his disability and even just a few sentences earlier, mentions that he is a Prince "and must behave as such" (Craik, 1875). Furthermore, throughout the story, she rarely refers to Dolor by name, instead calling him "Prince" or "my Prince", almost as if to assure him of his claim to …

King George III was the King of England from 1760 until his death in 1820. Part of his reign was known as the Regency Period, as his son, future King George IV, took over a regent for his father. George III was known as a tyrant king, but later known for his madness in the early 1800's. In 2003 through DNA testing, the cause for his fits of madness was diagnosed to be a blood disorder called porphyria, also known as lead poisioning. His symptoms included, "...severe abdominal pain, extreme perspiration, dark red urine, and seizure-like fits." Later studies, however, believed he suffered…