“Prince Charming,” the “Knight In Shining Armour” and where they came from.

Hey story lovers.

We always loved dreaming about a happily ever after, but we have come to associate it with fancy clothes, sparkly jewellery and gorgeous palaces to live in with the princely hero in shining armour who has saved the day. Where did that come from?

This idea really started picking up steam during the medieval times, when most people lived in scarcity, they dreamt of this “security” , this “ideal man” as a means to survive. But now the majority of us don’t live in scarcity, but we still feel like we don’t have enough and we long to be accepted into the “palace halls” and hope for someone to rid along and save us from our miserable lives.

Thanks to these tropes that have been infused into literature and storytelling, we still think life must be better up in the ivory tower and we are hustling our asses off and destroying the planet to try to get there. 

When did the role model of ‘Prince Charming’ start to be embedded in the mind’s of young romantics?

Charles Perrault wrote Sleeping Beauty in 1697, when the term was believed to be coined. Sleeping Beauty, upon waking up and finding a handsome prince says,

“‘Est-ce vous, mon prince?’ lui dit-elle, ‘vous vous êtes bien fait attendre’. Le Prince charmé de ces paroles… ne savait comment lui témoigner sa joie”.

(Translation: “‘Are you my prince?’ she said. ‘You’ve kept me waiting a long time’. The prince charmed by her words… did not know how to express his joy.”)

Let’s be clear - the prince is not being charming, he’s being charmed by her. Which now flips the whole idea on it’s head! It puts emphasis on the young Aurora for being able to affect the prince with her grace, but society someone muddled it up and now refers to the Prince as the one who comes in and affects the young maiden with his grace. Perrault wrote Cinderella that same year, which is also known for it’s Prince Charming, although that was not his name in the original story. However, let’s remember the story: Cinderella arrives at the ball and the prince is so charmed by Cinderella he declares she will be his queen and no one else.

Where did the idea of the ‘knight in shining armour’ come from?

The idea of the knight in shining armour, who swoops in and saves the damsel, was created by the cultural impacts of The Crusades. 

In order to protect their interests, warring lords needed to control their disorganised and erratic armies. So, chivalric codes developed between 1170 and 1220, such as bravery in battle and loyalty to one’s lord, were the result of practical needs. This was especially relevant against the backdrop of the Crusades, a series of military expeditions beginning in the late 11th century that were organised by western European Christians in an effort to counter the spread of Islam.

The First Crusade was called in November 1095 by Pope Urban II at the town of Clermont in central France. The crusade presented an opportunity for the sinful knights of western Europe to cease their endless in-fighting and exploitation of the “weak” and to make good their violent lives. Urban saw the campaign as a chance for knights to direct their energies towards what was seen as a spiritually meritorious act, namely the recovery of the holy city of Jerusalem from Islam (the Muslims had taken Jerusalem in 637).

In the 12th century, the literature of medieval romance became increasingly popular and a sophisticated culture of courtly behaviour between men and women changed the idealised image of a knight forever.

When was the expression “the knight in shining armour” first used?

In 1790, as the printing press was now spreading literary tropes far and wide, The Monthly Review in Britain published a poem by Henry Pye which read, “No more the knight, in shining armour dress’d. Opposes to the pointed lance his breast.”This is the first known creation of the idiom of a “knight in shining armour,” clearly celebrating courage and morality. However, I feel true courage has become muddied with social norms and hierarchies that are perpetuating old notions of oppression and social division. The idea of maintaining the status quo seems to be associated with what is “right” and “just.”  

In 2025, let’s re-think this trope.

Money and status has been a motivator for society for so long, so that’s why having a hero in a story come from this world is incredibly engaging, it easily creates interesting plotlines and beautiful visuals, but I think we can now be using this trope in a way to relearn our associations with wealth and power. Maybe it’s time to acknowledge that it ain’t all it’s cracked up to be. Money makes life easier yes, but it doesn’t guarantee kindness, authentic relationships or compassion.

Often the desperate hunt for money strips people of their humanity and to live fulfilled lives in a community that keeps us safe, we need humanity above all.

With warmth and kindness,

Gee x