‘Cinderellllllllaaaaaaa, where are the ugly step sisters?’ Or ‘Are you the REAL Tinkerbell?’ and most recently ‘Queen Elsa pllllllllllease show us your ice powers’!
These are just some of the names and questions I & my other princesses answer to on a weekly basis and this is our day job! Thought it would be a nice insight for you mummies to come into our world as full time princess entertainers and read our weekly blog. For the past 6 years I often can be found answering to the fairy tale names of Elsa, Tinks, Cinderella, Rapunzel & Sleeping Beauty. It is a a fun and magical world leaving us entertainers with many funny stories and memories from all our parties worked over the years. Despite doing this job for the past 6 years and working every weekend, often 4 parties per weekend, believe it or not we still get the pre-stage nerves! when hiding in a village hall toilets somewhere in the UK dressed and preened as a ‘princess’.
‘Mirror mirror on the wall, who’s the most nervous of them all’– yes it’s me as I stare back at myself looking like Cinderella, hair up in bun, silver tiara on & lips nice and glossy, white gloves pulled up high & a twinkle of a faux diamond around my neck. As I stare back at my self reminding my self who I am today, I’m Cinderella, I recall a few key statements too to help me bounce back at the children with my quick wit and knowledge on who I am…Guss is my mouse. I have a prince called Princes Charming & I’m not wearing my glass slippers today in case I loose one’. As I recall these pointers and say the aloud I am also doing this to help believe my self. Leave the real world behind and truly believe I am Cinderella for the next 2 hours! Every party may appear the same on the outside to the children attending & you mummies watching but for us princess entertainers it’s bound to throw a curve ball or a challenging clever 7r old with a very clever question to really test if you’re the REAL princess. Doing our job is rewarding and fun to see a little one’s eyes light up yet there are often moments of nervous excitement, confusion (princesses using sat navs in rural areas!) & sometimes nervous sickness- not us, the children! In 6 years I’ve been cuddled numerous times, sicked upon- only a few! Presented with cards and gifts as thank you’s and had my hair tugged a million times.
Knock knock knock goes my village hall toilet door I’m hiding in…..’We’re ready Cinderella’. This is the mummy. She knows I’m here, as I met her half an hour before to set up the party room with music & hide a parachute for my adventure later. She’s now giving me my secret signal that some children have arrived and they are ready for me to ‘appear’. I double check my self one more time, Teeth: smile to check Cinders isn’t sporting any lunch in there! Curtsee: To check Cinders doesn’t have her hoop caught up or is knicker flashing & Smell: do one last spritz of the handbag purfume, always carried in handbag for being a princess. ‘Thank you’ i call through with a smile already. And off I go.
‘Think of your wish & Throw! Blow! & Clap your hands. If your dust has stuck to your hands ‘one day’ ‘perhaps’ your wish may come true’ . And as I look down at my self covered in fairy dust, hot rosy cheeks, sweaty palms & I’m sure I’ve lost a few hair pins along the way I know I’ve made that birthday girl’s day as she reaches up for one last cuddle & kiss before I go home in my carriage. Even though every party can be different with different reactions you always end the same way, with big happy smiles and exhausted tired children. As for us princesses? We always have wine in our fridges at home for a little stress release after a busy Saturday or Sunday!!