“I was sitting in Nottingham Cottage and The Little Mermaid came on,” she recalled. “And who as an adult really watches The Little Mermaid? But it came on and I was like, ‘Well I’m here all the time I might as well watch this,’ and I went, ‘Oh my God she falls in love with the prince and because of that she loses her voice.’” “But in the end she gets her voice back,” Markle added—and since stepping back as a senior member of the British royal family, the Duchess told Winfrey “it’s really liberating to be able to have the right and the privilege in some ways to be able to say, ‘Yes. I’m ready to talk.’” Like Markle, Ariel found love with a Prince in the 1989 animated Disney classic. While the Duchess left her “career,” her “life” and “everything” because she loves Harry, Ariel, a mermaid, struck a deal with Ursula, the evil sea witch, in order to become part of Prince Eric’s human world. “The only way to get what you want is to become a human yourself,” Ursula tells the mermaid in the flick. “Now, here’s the deal. I will make you a potion that will turn you into a human for three days. Got that? Three days. Now, listen. This is important. Before the sun sets on the third day, you’ve got to get dear old princey to fall in love with you. That is, he’s got to kiss you. Not just any kiss. The kiss of true love. If he does kiss you before the sun sets on the third day, you’ll remain human permanently. But, if he doesn’t, you turn back into a mermaid, and you belong to me.” Ariel points out that if she becomes human, she won’t be with her father or sisters. “That’s right,” Ursula says. “But, you’ll have your man. Life’s full of tough choices, isn’t it?"—seems Markle would know firsthand, right? And because Ariel “can’t get something for nothing,” Ursula requires payment from the mermaid. The sea witch says, “I’m not asking much. Just a token really, a trifle. You’ll never even miss it. What I want from you is your voice.” Although Ariel won’t have her voice to sing or speak, Ursula informs the mermaid that she’ll still have her looks and pretty face, plus not to underestimate the importance of body language. Ariel ultimately agrees to give up her voice in order to find love with Eric on land. In the end, Ariel’s voice is restored after the sea witch’s magical necklace breaks. However, because Eric didn’t kiss the princess in time, she belongs to the sea witch. That didn’t stop the prince from coming to Ariel’s aid. Eric defeats Ursula, saving his princess and her world under the sea. Speaking to Winfrey about her real-life prince, Markle said, “You [Harry] made a decision that certainly saved my life and saved all of us.” Similar to Ariel, Markle’s story with the prince has a happy ending. The Duchess said, “Greater than any fairy tale you’ve ever read”…sorry Ariel!
How to watch The Little Mermaid?
In the mood to journey under the sea with Ariel? The animated film is available on Disney+. The movie can also be rented for $3.99 or purchased for $19.99 on YouTube, iTunes, and Prime Video. Next, everything we know about Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s Netflix deal!
