Movies about Disney princesses and their adventures and misfortunes most often cater to the young audience. As such, the Disney princesses generally tend to be in their teens. However, the movies tend to take care not to specify their age as it makes it easier even for adult viewers to immerse themselves in the story and enjoy the princess’ tale.
As such, it can be surprising even for many Disney princesses movie fans to realize how old the princesses are. And while it’s true that a majority of them aren’t even old enough to drink, several Disney princesses are on the slightly older side, at least when compared to the rest of their counterparts.
5 Jane Porter: 20 Years Old
Unlike other notable female heroines of the Disney movies, Jane Porter is a former Disney princess, but she still held the title for a while – even though, technically, she isn’t a princess at all. At 20 years of age, Jane is the youngest of the oldest Disney princesses. She’s witty, intelligent, and brave which serves her well when she meets Tarzan in the jungle and has to figure out how to overcome all obstacles on her way.
As the story progresses, Jane and Tarzan grow closer, and they get married in the end, once again strongly hinting at the fact that Jane is old enough to know what she wants from life as well as her future partner. A curious fact is that even though Jane was never a princess, thanks to her marriage to Tarzan, she becomes a queen since Tarzan leads the gorillas as their ruler.
4 Aurora: 21 Years Old
The live-action version of Aurora from the two Maleficent movies starring Angelina Jolie is slightly older than her animated counterpart who’s only 16 years old. Played by Elle Fanning, Aurora appears in two movies. The fact that she marries Prince Philip implies that she’s more mature than the other Disney princesses.
What’s more, at the end of the second Maleficent: Mistress of Evil (2019) movie, it’s hinted at the fact that Aurora is now pregnant and will become a mother soon. She is also no longer a princess but a queen in the second movie. Interestingly enough, Elle Fanning was born in 1998 so by the time the second movie came out, she was 21 years old, just like her heroine.
3 Anna: 21 Years Old
Just like other Disney princesses who appeared in multiple movies, Anna’s age changes and so does her wisdom. In the first Frozen (2013) movie, Anna is 18 and still naive enough to fall for the schemes of the evil prince Hans. In the second Frozen movie that came out in 2019, Anna is 21 and slightly wiser even though she still retains her optimistic nature which puts her in direct contrast with her more serious sister Elsa.
She’s also in a long-term relationship with Kristoff even though their romance faces issues in the movie, they’re both willing to work on it which shows that Anna has matured a lot as a person since she first appeared on the screen.
2 Elsa: 24 Years Old
Considering Princess Anna is 21 years old in the second Frozen movie and Elsa is her older sister (and as such, the queen), it makes sense that Elsa is older than many Disney princesses. She’s 21 years old in the first movie and 24 in the second, making her three years older than her younger sister. Elsa’s usually serious and down-to-earth demeanor makes her seem even older in comparison to her mostly happy-go-lucky sister.
Elsa’s behavior was cemented by her powers that kept her separated from people for a long time and that she perceived as a curse. Despite her young age, Elsa has been through a lot, and she has a habit of thinking things through as well as giving good advice. For example, when Anna announces she wants to marry Prince Hans in the first movie, Elsa is quick to point out that she shouldn’t marry a man she just met. As it later turns out, of course, Elsa is right and Hans turns out to be a villain.
1 Elena: Chronologically 57 Years Old (Technically 16)
The oldest Disney princess is also one of the youngest. And the most obscure ones too. Princess Elena appeared in the animated TV series Elena of Avalor which ran for three seasons between 2016 and 2020 and produced 77 episodes in total – a lot of content for everyone who wishes to watch it. The story of Elena’s exact age is complicated as she’s been trapped in a magical amulet for 41 years while her enemy, the evil witch Shukiri, took control over her kingdom.
After Elena gets out of the amulet and realizes how much time has passed, she has to return to her previous life and learn how to rule her kingdom the best she can. Her journey in the series reads as a coming-of-age story as Elena learns to navigate the demands of her royal work and also has to figure out who she is as a person outside of her magical amulet prison.