A journey to a whole new world fueled by love. Determination to stand tall in the face of criticism, be it on Aquazzura Mathilde pumps or one-of-a-kind Ursula customized feet. Fathers with a penchant for making waves. And most importantly, the challenging pursuit of finding their voices. There is a lot that unites Meghan Markle and Disney’s Ariel.

With how she embarked on a journey from the depths of the common world to the heights of royal splendor, Markle could easily be dubbed the Royal family’s Ariel. A comparison that the Duchess was herself found approving as she took the seat across from Oprah Winfrey for her paradigm-shifting interview.

Back when Meghan Markle chose Little Mermaid as her Disney princess of choice

There is hardly anyone who grew up devoid of the magic of Disney and its tales. As its princesses ranged from the bookworm Belle to the helpless Cinderella, many found themselves represented in the princesses’ personalities. This is also true for Meghan Markle. Except she was four sizes too big and three decades too smart when she compared herself to Disney’s Little Mermaid.

In her famous Oprah Winfrey interview, the Duchess recalls thinking, “Oh my God she falls in love with the prince and because of that she loses her voice,” as she watched The Little Mermaid at Nottingham Cottage.

Markle drawing a parallel between her life in the royal family and that of Ariel is a weighted move. The Duchess leaves room for speculation as she narrates wide-eyed the epiphany she had while watching the movie as an adult.

While the Duchess of Sussex may have taken the first step in uniting The Little Mermaid and the royal family, The Little Mermaid from 2023 dived headfirst into the royal family’s affairs as she took a supposed jibe at Kate Middleton.

Did The Little Mermaid take a jibe at Markle’s arch-nemesis, Kate Middleton?

As The Little Mermaid returned to us in an entirely different font in 2023, it had to tread through troubled waters. And apart from the creative liberty they took by reimagining Halle Bailey, the movie gave a reason for royal fans to pick up their spades. The scene from the 1989 animated masterpiece consists of the iconic scene where the blue-eyed prince tries to guess Ariel’s name as Sebastian’s patience hangs on by the last thread.

The 2023 movie recreates the scene by using the names Diana and Catherine. As Catherine’s name draws a disgusted expression from Bailey’s mermaid, the Prince says, ” OK, definitely not Catherine.” With all the comparisons going around, it is too much of a coincidence that Disney just decided to use Kate Middleton’s maiden name. Especially after Meghan Markle herself drew similarities between herself and Ariel.

What do you think about Meghan Markle seeing herself as Ariel from Disney’s The Little Mermaid? Let us know in the comments below.