How do you know that he is indeed Prince Charming?

Prince Charming is not exactly the hero you expect from the fairytales, the one who danced with Cinderella or the other one who rescued Sleeping Beauty. He is much more than that! He sweeps you off your feet not only with his charm but also his overall personality and his sincerest concern of making your life wonderful. If your Prince Charming happens to be your husband, fiancee, long-time boyfriend, lover, partner etc who loves you dearly and respects you for who you are, then consider yourself fortunate and blessed! Young women and teenage girls always dream of their Prince Charming to be waiting around the corner or to pop up on their way. What they must realize that Prince Charming can be someone known to them. Who knows what fate had in store for them? More importantly, it is high time women and girls wake up from their fantasy dreams and see that they are in the real world. Their idea of an ideal Prince Charming should be more reasonable and sensible.

Girls are girls and they keep on dreaming about how they will meet their Prince Charming or how he will look like - a blond high school senior or a tall, dark and handsome young man. Naturally, they develop crushes on cute boys. They often expect their crushes to return their feelings but in most cases they get rejected which may result in lull for them. Little should they be aware that Prince Charming exists only in their dreams or fairy tales or movies. Their definition of Prince Charming should be more realistic and literal.

Young single women who are eagerly waiting for their Prince Charming often rush into relationships and in most cases, they end up in a mess with the wrong guys. Young women should consider that being single for a certain period of time is a blessing as it gives them independence to discover many unexpected things in life. Prince Charming will gradually knock on their door. Time speak volumes. Which is better ? - being in a relationship with the guy who is not the one for you or wait patiently for Mr. Right to come on your way and spend the rest of his life with you!

Divorcees and single mothers are currently on the rise. They have a whole life ahead of them and life is full of chances and/or opportunities. Life is like a lesson - we first make mistakes, learn from them and then use that experience as the stepping stone to success. These ladies should figure out why their previous relationships did not work and this would help them in finding the compatible life partner in future.

Some women and girls are dumped by their long-time boyfriends or fiancees for some reasons. They must note that the guys who dumped them are not suitable enough for them. These ladies and girls should thank their stars for not letting them live with the wrong guys. Their destinies have other plans for them and they must make the most of it. They must never give up. The next guy to enter their life would be the true Prince Charming.

Prince Charming may be living next door or you may have met him many times at parties or is your brother's friend or your classmate; you would be palling around with him, advising each other about relationships or quarrelling over trivial issues before finally falling in love and marriage and all. It seems obvious that you know him very well and it would be fruitful for your future with him.

If Prince Charming happens to be your boss or a colleague or a seemingly indifferent guy whom you may detest in the beginning but eventually fall for him as he is not what he may appear to be. It may be his duty to look and be professional yet he remains unchanged inside. Don't judge your would-be Prince Charming by his exterior.

If you meet a stranger by chance who is destined to be your Prince Charming, you have to talk with him, understand his personality and know his feelings about you before opening a new chapter together. Keep in mind that don't buy yourself into the myth of love at first sight!

It is upto you to decide if he is the right guy for you. Here is a list of excerpts from select films and some real-life examples that would serve to guide you to understand the rational concept of Prince Charming.

Julia Child, the late well known tv cooking show host, had a flourishing career thanks to the encouragement from her husband, Paul Child. Her husband acknowledged her culinary skills and motivated her to write her recipe book. Her recipe book won rave reviews and landed her in the spotlight.

Prince Charming is the one who encourages you all the way and never dissuades you from your dreams or goals in your life.

Meryl Streep, who effervescently essayed the role of Julia Child in the film Julie & Julia (2009), is blessed with not only a glorious film career but also a steady marriage with Don Gummer, a sculptor and her brother's longtime friend. Her husband hardly envied his wife's soaring success and their 33 year marriage spawned four children.

Prince Charming is supposed to take pride in your success and fame in your careers and continue to be your pillar of support.

Your Prince Charming may be someone who is different from you in several ways. Over time, both of you accept each other in spite of various differences between you and him.

Remember the movie Kate and Leopold. Leopold, the Duke of Albany, portrayed well by Hugh Jackman, time-travels to the 21st century New York and meets a career-woman named Kate, played by Meg Ryan who is completely different from him in every way and often finds him too prim and proper due to his royal background. Gradually, they develop romantic feelings for each other. The people known to them help in bringing them together at the end of the movie.

Though you and him may not be the same in some ways but what matters is how both of you feel for each other and spend an entire lifetime together.

Hugh Jackman is a real life Prince Charming to his wife, Australian actress, Deborra-Lee Furness, who is 13 years older than him! Cupid struck them while co-starring in the Australian tv show Corelli. They are married for 16 years. To this couple, age is just a number and various rumours did not affect them. Deborra's belief and trust in Hugh resulted in a rewarding marriage.

Your Prince Charming , irrespective of age or a glamorous profession, should never betray your faith and trust in him.

Your Prince Charming may not be everything you ever hope for but if he does everything for you beyond your expectations, then you could not ask for more!

How about Harry Potter? He saved Ginny Weasley from evil Lord Voldemort when they were children. Years later, he realised his love for Ginny and did his best to shield her from every possible danger and even made sacrifices for her sake. They then had a contented married life with 3 children.

Harry Potter may not be your regular handsome guy but he is indeed Prince Charming to Ginny whom he truly loved, protected and desired to be with for the rest of his life.

Now, we see that it is character that matters much more than looks. If your guy is loaded with plenty of character, he is of course Prince Charming as the charm lies within the character and not in the looks.

J.K. Rowling, the renowned author of Harry Potter series, was a single mother who gave her love life a second chance and found her Prince Charming named Neil Michael Murray, an anaesthetist.

They remained married till this day due to their commitment to each other.

Your Prince Charming should value the importance of commitment and this would culminates into an everlasting and beautiful relationship called marriage.

Your Prince Charming must possess an incredible sense of humour to liven up not only your life but also your relationship with him.

Think of Guido Orafice, enacted brilliantly by Roberto Benigni in an Italian cinematic gem 'Life Is Beautiful'. Guido is a happy-go-lucky ordinary guy whose playful imagination and cheerful nature won the heart of a local rich girl named Dora, played by Nicoletta Braschi and together they led a peaceful life with their son until the World War II started. Guido is still unfazed by war and used his gift of humour to save his family from the ravages of war.

Any Prince Charming is not complete unless he exhibits a great sense of humour and this helps in strengthening the relationship or marriage.

Nicoletta met her Prince Charming in Roberto in 1980 and later got married. They shared the common passion in films and collaborated in several noted Italian films, Life Is Beautiful the most sucessful till date.

Prince Charming can be someone who has a lot in common with you and share his passion with you in everything, be it career, endeavour or hobby.

Prince Charming should be free from ego, coercion, control, possessiveness and aggression. This would prove advantageous for your life with him.

Here is a short extract from Indian historical film titled Jodhaa Akbar. Jodhaa was a Rajput Hindu princess and Akbar the Great was a Muslim emperor of India. Their destiny and political alliance made them husband and wife. Jodhaa was initially hesitant to marry Akbar as she was brought up in a rigid Hindu culture. However, Akbar was kind and understanding and allowed her to follow her Hindu customs. He never forced her to convert to Islam, something that rekindled romance in their marriage and bore the heir to the Mughal empire.

This is a story of inter-religion marriage between two people which had blossomed into a romantic bond of comprehending each other's perspectives and views regardless of their different religions.

Irrespective of religion, race or nationality, your Prince Charming has to be not only understanding but also broad-minded who is able to read your mind and heart.

Shah Jahan, the grandson of Akbar and Jodhaa, is probably one of the world's most famous Prince Charmings as his love for Mumtaz Mahal is monumental in the form of one of the seven wonders of the world - theTaj Mahal. He built Taj Mahal in honour of his wife Mumtaz Mahal who had been his constant personal advisor, confidante and well-wisher, and always accompanied him whenever he travelled even to the harshest battlefields.

Prince Charming should appreciate you for who you are and what you did for him, by showering his affection on you or giving you surprise-gifts or proudly talking to others about you. Don't expect him to build a monument in your honour like Shah Jahan did!

My all-time favorite Indian film is Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (meaning "The brave-hearted will take the bride") which is about a rich pampered NRI (non-resident Indian) boy called Raj who initially teased the fellow NRI girl named Simran and consequences followed. Later they fell in love. Raj, knowing about Simran's orthodox background, became completely reformed out of love for her and followed her to her native place to seek the permission of Simran's stern father for her hand in marriage. At the end, Raj not only won Simran but also the approval of Simran's family.

Your Prince Charming should pursue you seriously and is willing to take his relationship with you to another level i.e marriage.

Also, your Prince Charming should ensure that you are the most important person of his life and strive well enough to be worthy of you and your love.

Shahrukh Khan, the main lead of Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, and his wife Gauri's story is similiar to Jodhaa Akbar - another Muslim boy and Hindu girl love story. He seriously pursued her while they were very young and after their parents's agreement, their marriage took place. Lady Luck smiled on Shahrukh Khan and he became one of India's biggest superstars. He starred opposite many beautiful actresses. He is one of the fewest stars who did not have a single fling or affair with any of his female co-stars. He remained steadfastly loyal to his wife of 20 years and raised two children.

Your Prince Charming should be ever faithful and loyal to you.

This quality tops the criteria of a perfect Prince Charming.

I would like to share a brief story about my parents's marriage. In the eighties, as destiny had planned, my father unexpectedly met my mother at his senior colleague's house (this colleague happened to be my mother's uncle) and they just exchanged greetings. They had no idea that they were meant to be together in a very few months time! The families of my parents agreed though with a bit of hesitation considering my father's social status. My mother hailed from a well-off family while my father came from a middle-class family. However, my mother firmly insisted on marrying my father as she had heard from her uncle that he was an extremely good-natured person. My father too was taken aback by this unexpected agreement from my mother and was very impressed with her. The marriage took place in a joyous ceremony.

My parents have completed 28 years of marriage. The success behind their long-time marriage is their compatibility, mutual respect for each other, accomodating each other's needs, giving each other space and above all love and care for each other. My father credits my mother for his stupendous success that he has achieved today in his career and my mother says that she could not have asked for a better husband and he is her ideal Prince Charming.

In certain countries like India, arranged marriages are common and though it is dreaded by quite many, actually many Indian women prefer this to love marriages as their parents make complete enquires about the prospective groom and then arrange the match. For Indian women, it is like discovering love after marriage and learning about their spouses and how to strike a balance between love and compromise in the marriage.

My parents are a good example of a successful arranged marriage. Both were strangers before marriage but after marriage,together they embarked on a fufilling journey of discovering each other and understanding each other, and their love grew stonger as the years passed by.

Your Prince Charming should be with you through thin and thick and help you cope with life's problems.

Forget his social status, family-background or success, your Prince Charming should be the one whom you want to be with for the rest of your life.

I am a 20-something professional who, like many others, grew up feasting on fairy tales and romantic films, slowly started becoming practical about how my future Prince Charming will be. Though I am single for some time now, I am blessed with a good career, comfortable life, caring family and few good friends. Life has a lot to offer and I have a lot to learn. I allowed time to take its course. What I wish in my future Prince Charming is that he should make my life beautiful and we both should be on the same track throughout our life. I am confident that the right man will come into my life at the right place and at the right time.

The above mentioned examples epitomise the inner qualities of an exemplary Prince Charming. Still, don't assume your Prince Charming to be like any of these exact examples. If he is not 100 percent perfect, still that would not stop him from being your ideal man. The unconditional love that he showers on you right from the bottom of his heart is the most important; expensive gifts, candle-lit dinners or a bunch of flowers cannot substitute this. A quintessential Prince charming is all about how he conducts himself in a chivalrous manner and how he treats you like his Princess Charming!

Few real-life Prince Charmings who helped in popularising the character of an ideal Prince Charming in most of their works:

1. Walt Disney: An animator and founder of Walt Disney Company has a 40 year happy marriage with Lillian Bounds.

2. William Shakespeare: In this famous playwright's much discussed about marriage to Anne Hathaway, he contributed his love to her through his few sonnets.

3. Nicholas Sparks: A well-known author of notable books such as The notebook and A walk to remember, met his wife at a spring-break and they led a blissful marital life with five children.

Certain famous real-life Prince Charmings in British History:

1. Prince Albert: The husband of Queen Victoria whom he married at the tender age of 20 and their marriage was one of the most profilic partnerships in the history of British monarchy.

2. King Edward: Though himself a womaniser, he abdicated his throne to marry Wallis Simpson, an American divorcee.

3. Prince Philip: He met Queen Elizabeth II when he was about 18 and Elizabeth just 13. They have completed nearly 65 years of marriage!

4. Prince William: His 8 year courtship with Kate Middleton turned into a grand wedding viewed by millions across the globe last year.

Some famous Prince Charmings in popular culture:

1. All Walt Disney Princes, including the unusual thief Flynn Rider from Tangled (2010).

2. Romeo Montague from Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.

3. Tristan from Richard Wagner's opera Tristan and Isolde.

4. Rhett Butler portrayed by Clark Gable in the classic film 'Gone with the wind' (1939) based on the book by Margaret Mitchell.

5. Edward Lewis played by Richards Gere in the 1990 hit film 'Pretty Woman'.

6. Rick Blaine enacted by Humphrey Bogart in the one of the greatest films ever-'Casablanca' (1942).

7. Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy from Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice.

8. Jack Dawsons portrayed by Leonardo DiCaprio in the 1997 blockbuster 'Titanic'.

9. Charlie Chaplin in most of his silent slapstick comedy films (1910s to 1930s) in which his famous role of The Tramp, though wholly comic, had a soft romantic side to it too.

10. Jerry Maguire enacted by Tom Cruise in the much-acclaimed film of the same name (1996).

Some real-life Prince Charmings Today:

1. Football player David Beckham is still married to Victoria a.k.a Posh Spice, singer for 12 years. They have 4 children.

2. Oscar winning actor Denzel Washington have completed 28 years of marriage with wife Pauletta Pearson whom he met on his first screen test of the tv-film Wilma. They have four children.

3. President Barack Obama is still in love with his wife of 20 years, Michelle Robinson who was his advisor at a law firm before they started dating and then married. They have 2 children.

4. Actor Matthew Broderick of Godzilla film fame and actress Sarah Jessica Parker of Sex and the City tv-series and films fame are happily married for 15 years. They have 3 children.

5. Sachin Tendulkar, the one of cricket's greatest batsmen, have completed 17 years of marriage with his wife, a paediatrician named Anjali who is 6 years older than him. They have two children.

6. American comedy actor Danny Devito have completed 30 years of marriage to actress Rhea Perlman. They have 3 children.

Anyone else?

( C ) Copyrights by Ishwaryaa Dhandapani