Angeline Trevena Prince Questions

2019 is the year of the prince!

Throughout 2018, I asked friends and contacts what they thought made a good princess. You can find the answers to those questions here

This year, I will be asking authors from a variety of genres as well as a host of others from editors to academics, what they think makes a definitive prince.

This month we are joined by Angeline Trevena.

Angeline is a British science fiction, fantasy, and horror author. Creator of The Paper Duchess series, she is best known for her feminist brand of dystopia.

She’s been writing stories since she was old enough to hold a pen, and after gaining a BA Hons degree in Drama and Writing, she honed her craft with horror and fantasy shorts which were published in numerous magazines and anthologies.

She also co-hosts The Great Western Woods Worldbuilding Podcast along with fellow author H.B. Lyne.

Angeline grew up on the edge of Dartmoor, Devon, amongst its legends and ghost stories but now lives in central England with her husband, their two young boys, and a somewhat neurotic cat.

You can learn more about her at http://www.angelinetrevena.co.uk/

1. A prince has to win the trust not only of his people but of his chosen princess - and very quickly! What three qualities would you need a prince to show before you’d be won over to their cause?_

Humility has to be the biggest one. If he comes storming in on a showy stallion, acting like he’s already won, then, no. He’s not winning me over. If he understands that scaling my tower (not a euphemism!) doesn’t entitle him to anything, then we’re cool.

Good sense of humour. I know it’s a cliche, but it’s a cliche for a reason. He has to be able to laugh at himself.

Third is generosity. He needs to generously bring me chocolate, and coffee, and kittens. Very important.

2. All princes are armed, but what is the best weapon or weapons for a prince? (Magical weapons are allowed).

Through my teens, I was a massive X-Files fan. I think Fox Mulder was one of my first proper crushes (along with Atreyu from The Neverending Story, because, of course). And, ever since Mulder, I’ve had a thing for guys in shirt sleeves with a shoulder holster. So, it might just have to be a good ol’ handgun. And, if he has a sandwich for me tucked in the other side, all the better. (I sense a theme emerging…)

3. Disney princesses often have an animal companion to share their trials with. If the same applied to princes, what kind of animal would be a good choice for a prince?

I could list loads of princely animals that I love: lions, bears, wolves, foxes, crows, hares. They’d all be cool. But there’s this great book by Lauren Beukes: Zoo City. It’s in a world where, when someone does something wrong, an animal companion appears. And the funny thing is that it doesn’t necessarily equate to the severity of their crime. So, you could have a psycho mass murderer with a fieldmouse, and a weasely corporate fraudster with a tiger. So, it would be funny for the animal to be completely at odds with their image.

4. The Disney princes were a pretty unmemorable bunch. What kind of prince - or saviour-hero - would you like to see in future Disney movies?

It’s so true! Can we have some big, hot, bearded, tattooed princes, please? And nerdy ones. I am a big fan of the hugely underrated Disney movie Atlantis, and Milo Thatch is so under-appreciated. I mean, look at the woman he gets; Kida is so hot! And he wins her over with his scholarly knowledge and bookishness (along with some very cute, awkward clumsiness). More of that, please!

5. The focus on princesses is often what they wear, but what would be a good look for your ideal prince?

I’ve thought hard about this, and I’m seriously torn. Like, nothing beats a really nice three-piece suit. It has to have a waistcoat. And, if he can ditch the jacket for rolled-up shirt sleeves, I’m in! I mean, why is that so sexy? I dunno, it just is.

But, honestly, the time I watched my husband cutting down trees in his full chainsaw gear, well, yeah. Seriously, there is something about guys cutting down trees and chopping wood. If you’ve never watched a man chop wood, go and see it, you’ll see what I mean.

So, anyway, can I have a mix of those two things?

6. Which fictional prince is your favourite, and why?

Like many women my age, my first Disney crush was Robin Hood. Yeah, I know that he’s a fox, but if guys can have Ariel, we can have Robin Hood! In fact, I have a bit of a thing for Nick Wilde from Zootropolis too. Ok, maybe I have a problem.

Anyway, I don’t think fiction offers us that many great prince characters. In general, princes do tend to be a little flat and, generally, blah. One group of princes I do really like are the brothers from Neil Gaiman’s Stardust. Both the book and the movie. I love how pissed off they are about being dead; that feels so authentic. I think I’ll probably feel like that when it’s my turn!

Angeline Trevena Prince Questions

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