Disney fan theory claims Prince Philip has a secret connection to Sleeping Beauty movie

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ON paper, Prince Philip’s life resembles a modern fairytale – after a very traumatic childhood, he fell in love with a Princess and went on to become the longest-serving consort in history.

But while like this sounds like something straight out of a children’s books, it turns out the late Duke of Edinburgh actually does have a secret connection to one of our favourite fairytales.

Prince Philip and The Queen married in 1947Credit: Getty Images – Getty

After the Duke sadly passed away at the age of 99 last week, Disney fans began tweeting about how they were turning to the Sleeping Beauty movie for comfort.

“Feeling like I need to watch Sleeping Beauty tonight since Prince Philip died,” one wrote. “After all, that’s how the movie’s Prince got his name.”

According to the movie’s IMDb page, the leading man in the film – which was released in 1959 – was named after Britain’s own dashing Prince.

The Disney Wiki fansite claims that animators chose this name because Philip was one of the ” few real Princes familiar” to them.

According to Sleeping Beauty's IMD, the Prince in the film was named after the late Duke of Edinburgh — According to Sleeping Beauty’s IMD, the Prince in the film was named after the late Duke of EdinburghCredit: Alamy

The University of Edinburgh’s Sarah Dunnigan – who has extensively researched fairytale traditions – told Tyla that Disney could have chosen the name Philip “due to the huge popularity and idealisation of the British royal family in America in the late 1950s.”

What’s more, Prince Philip in the film is also a few years older than Aurora and they first met as children.

In real life, The Queen was just 13 years old when she first set eyes on her future husband in 1939 and kept a photo of him on her desk.

Eight years later, the couple announced their engagement and were married for 73 years before Prince Philip passed away last week.