Princess or Queen?

[vovat]

Even though it makes sense for Ozma, as the supreme ruler of Oz, to be considered a queen (if not an empress), and Land confirms that "Ozma made the loveliest Queen the Emerald City had ever known," L. Frank Baum typically refers to her as "Princess Ozma." Of course, going by the technical definition, every queen is a princess (although not every princess is a queen). Still, the cultural expectation, especially in the fairy tale world, is for queens to be fully grown and princesses young. So calling her "Princess Ozma" is probably a way for Baum to emphasize her perpetual youth. Besides, royal titles in Oz can be rather fluid. Nick Chopper is an emperor essentially just because he wants to be, even though his fellow quadrant rulers are kings and queens. And there are small communities throughout Oz with their own kings and queens, as well as leaders with such unique titles as Lord High Chigglewitz, High Coco-Lorum, and Czarover. So, really, I don't think anyone is going to object to Ozma calling herself whatever she wants. Although I can't recall for sure, I believe Ruth Plumly Thompson switches between calling Ozma "Princess" and "Queen," while I think John R. Neill just calls her a queen.

Actually, Phil Lewin's Witch Queen gives an explanation for why Ozma is only a princess, in that Lurline's older sister Enilrul still technically holds the title of Queen of Oz. It's tempting to try to connect Ozma's proper switch from Princess to Queen to her father's official abdication in Lost King, but since no one (well, except Mombi and Lurline) knows that Pastoria is even still alive prior to the events of that story, I wouldn't think that would make any difference. So I think the most likely explanation is that Ozma is a queen (and a High Queen, at that) who prefers to be called "Princess" (by people who aren't close enough to her to be on a first-name basis, anyway).

Comments

[newwwoz.blogspot.com (from livejournal.com)]

I've always guessed (as you said) that "Princess" applied to Ozma because she was young. "Queen" just sounds so grown-up...

Ozma's royal nature

[dennisanfuso.livejournal.com]

No question she is the Queen of Oz, but I am sure Baum used the term princess because of her age (or the age she looks anyway) I have always assumed that Dorothy was at most 10 by the time she stayed in Oz forever, and Ozma is older than her but no so much that she wouldn't play with her as a friend, so maybe 12 or 13? Dorothy is also a princess of Oz but not in any way in line to rule in Ozma's place.

Re: Ozma's royal nature

[vovat.livejournal.com]

Ozma says that the title character "seemed neither older nor larger than Dorothy herself," while Tin Woodman claims that Ozma appears to be "perhaps fourteen or fifteen years of age" and Dorothy "much younger than Ozma."

Re: Ozma's royal nature

[graycardinal]

My own mental picture is that Ozma (in line with the Tin Woodman reference) is perhaps fourteen in terms of physical age.

The other girls are a little trickier; I tend to agree with the conclusions given in one of the Appendices to the Royal Timeline of Oz -- that in terms of physical age, Trot is youngest, then Dorothy, then Betsy Bobbin. I view Trot as physically about ten, Dorothy as almost twelve, and Betsy as twelve or perhaps just thirteen. Dorothy's age is trickiest to establish because she makes several visits back and forth to Oz before settling there permanently -- and those visits, as the Royal Timeline points out, seem to encompass a span of several years.

And of course there's the eventual dichotomy between physical and psychological age; Trot, for instance, may be frozen physically at ten, but by now she's an extraordinarily mature ten-year-old....

Re: Ozma's royal nature

[ozma914.livejournal.com]

That's pretty much my thinking on the age of the American girls, too. As for Ozma, I give her one year for each of Baum's Oz books, just for the heck of it.

Re: Ozma's royal nature

[vovat.livejournal.com]

So she's two when she first takes the throne? :P

Re: Ozma's royal nature

[ozma914.livejournal.com]

No -- well maybe, who knows? -- I mean I give her appearance as being fourteen right from the beginning and not changing, 'cause -- fairy. ;-) It would be both a tribute to Baum and an easy age for me personally to remember.