Your favourite Disney Princess? VOTE!

Majestic castles, resplendent gowns, charming princes and picture-perfect first kisses.  You'd think the life of a Disney Princess can't be too hard given it all begins with 'Once upon a time' and ends on a note of 'happily ever-after.'  

Even so, it's not exactly a cake walk either. Think evil sorcerers, ghastly witches, scheming stepmothers, spells and curses.  Though her fairy-tale existence is strewn with adventure and enchantment, there are a lot of hardships to endure before she can make the grade.

For more than a half century, filmmakers at Disney have endeavored to showcase the verve of these golden-hearted heroines of animation. Brave's Merida is a brand new addition to this sparkling legacy. Will she be able to attain the popularity of her predecessors? Only time will tell.  Meanwhile, go ahead and pick your favourite Disney Princess of all time.  

Merida, Brave

A far cry from the dainty blue-blooded icons, Celtic Princess Merida, receiving the Pixar treatment, is one defiant redhead who jumps right into the mouth of danger and needs no Prince to do any rescuing. 

She's a picture of pristine innocence what with her cooing syrupy songs to birds, housekeeping for seven temperamental dwarfs or making dreamy but distant eye contact with a shiny Prince. No wonder the Evil Queen finds her irritating to the core.

Putting up with a cruel stepmom and her equally callous daughters can be a grueling task for a girl. But the blue-eyed Cinderella's army of dexterous mice and resourceful birds ensure all the chores are finished in time.

And in true fairy tale style, an impressed Fairy Godmother rewards her incessant patience with a gorgeous blue gown, magical glass slippers and a life-long Prince.

For the longest time, Aurora is clueless about her Princess stature in a bid to protect her from the unkind Maleficent's deadly curse.

She resides in the woods with her fun fairy aunts, picks flowers, sings songs and bumps into a Prince, falls in love at first sight only to enter a state of death like slumber, which can only be shaken off by that one remedy no doctor prescribes, true love's first kiss.  

Unlike the demure lot that came before her, Ariel's mermaid displays a distinctly rebellious streak and fiery romanticism. As the pampered teen daughter of a Sea King anxious to see the world above the sea, Ariel goes to the extent of exchanging her melodious voice for a pair of legs.

Even though Disney's version doesn't retain the darkness of Hans Christian Andersen's original story, it stresses on what construes life-changing choices.

With a tiger for a pet and an iron fist-in-velvet glove attitude, the Middle-Eastern Princess of Aladdin is undoubtedly one of her kind. Fed up of living life by the rules, Jasmine seeks a life outside materialistic pleasures and to marry for love not tradition. 

If ever there was an award for the geekiest princesses of them all, Belle would win one in a heartbeat. The lady l-o-v-e-s books and is sensible enough to tell a good heart from a pretty face.

She's lovely, she's goodhearted and, most importantly, she brings out a prince in a beast. That's a real princess. 

The Princess and the Frog's Tiana is not the run-of-the-mill royalty. For starters, she's not really a Princess (in fact for the longest time in the film, she's not even human), she becomes one by marrying one of the Charming variety.

The African-American Tiana is a livewire waitressing her way to achieve the ultimate dream of starting her own restaurant.

Refusing to continue in the subservient tradition of vintage Disney princesses, Tangled's Rapunzel doesn't waste a single moment in eloping from the highest room of the tallest tower, courtesy her building-long plait, once she discovers her creepy mom-cum-witch's true intentions.

And thereon Rapz embarks on her kind's favourite nine-letter word, adventure.

So what are you waiting for? Vote now!