Prince Charming

Prince Charming is a stock character who appears in a number of fairy tales. He is the prince who comes to rescue of the damsel in distress, and stereotypically, must engage in a quest to liberate her from an evil spell. The name has been given to the heroes of a number of traditional folk tales, including Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, and Cinderella. These characters are often handsome and romantic, a foil to the heroine, and are seldom deeply characterized, or even distinguishable from other such men who marry the heroine. Prince Charming is also the name given to a handsome man of great attractiveness. In many variants, they can be viewed more as rewards for the heroine rather than characters. "Prince Charming" is also used as a term to refer to the idealized man some people dream of as a future spouse.