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The Heart of Princess Joan



“The Heart of Princess Joan” is a fairy tale that was published in 1880 within a collection entitled The Necklace of Princess Fiorimonde and other Stories, authored by popular children’s writer of the day, Mary de Morgan and illustrated by Walter Crane. This was the second of three published collections of fairy tales by Mary de Morgan.

About the Author
Born in 1850 into an intellectual and creative British family, Mary de Morgan perfected her craft of telling original fairy tales to the children of family friends, who included the Burne-Jones, Morrises, and the Kiplings. In fact, “The Heart of Princess Joan” is dedicated, with the other stories in the collection to her nephews and nieces. James Fowler remarks that “she seems to represent a full flowering of the Victorian fairy-tale genre…”

1880 Release Announcement in the Times
“Ready this day, extra fep., 8 vo., 6s, The Necklace of Princess Fiorimonde, and other Stories, By Mary de Morgan. With 25 Illustrations by Walter Crane. Also an edition on large paper, the illustrations on India paper, limited to 100 copies.”

Literary Review
Although de Morgan’s stories, including “The Heart of Princess Joan,” have a somewhat folk-like feel, they are original and recorded in a style similar to that of Hans Christian Anderson. This might be due to the fact that they were told to children before their final form was decided on and published. This story in particular draws on the themes of enduring love and personal sacrifice, which are manifested by the hero, Prince Michael; these are reoccurring theme in de Morgan’s stories. Although de Morgan’s fairy tales usually comment on Victorian culture, there are no clear parallels found in “The Heart of Princess Joan.”

Published Collections

 * On a Pincushion (1877)
 * The Necklace of Princess Fiorimonde and other Stories (1880)
 * The Windfairies (1900)