Why Keira Knightley's Daughters Aren't Allowed To Watch Some Disney Princess Movies

She may have starred in a number of Disney movies, but don't expect Keira Knightley to put every Disney princess up on a pedestal. According to Knightley, she wants her daughters to aspire to be something far greater than a dainty princess, and for that reason, she has a list of certain Disney princess movies she won't allow her young daughters to watch.

Knightley and her husband James Righton are the parents of two girls. Their oldest daughter, Edie, was born in 2015, and her younger sister, Delilah, was born four years later in 2019. It's only natural, as young children, that both girls are interested in the bright, musical, and colorful worlds that Disney is so famous for creating. But the messages in some of the films, particularly the classic Disney princess films, have earned them a spot on the Knightley family's "banned" list.

The "Pirates of the Caribbean" star explained to USA Today that some Disney princess movies simply don't align with the values she's trying to instill in her young girls. "Of course (my daughter) wants to be a princess. "And I'm like, 'You don't want to be a princess, you want to be a queen. Because queens are in charge!'" Knightley proclaimed.

Being a damsel in distress, singing with animals, and giving up everything for a guy she just met? Keira Knightley isn't a fan of the Disney princesses that pretty much started these tropes. In fact, the Disney princess movies that do feature such tropes are the ones she won't allow her daughters to watch.

"I'm being very careful about fairy tales with my kid because I don't like the message that a lot of them have. So 'The Little Mermaid' has been banned," the actress stated to USA Today. Another Disney classic that she doesn't want her daughters to watch is "Cinderella," probably the most famous Disney princess movie. The jury is still out on "Snow White." Knightley said, "I haven't looked at 'Snow White' again, but that may be banned, as well." 

As for which Disney princess movies her daughters are allowed to watch, Knightley has claimed she's a big fan of "Frozen," which teaches children about the importance of friendship and sisterly love. But it's the adventurous and brave "Moana" that's her favorite Disney princess and movie by far.

Keira Knightley doesn't need to worry too much about her daughters idolizing less-than-ideal Disney princesses. She's narrowed down her kids' favorite Disney flick, and it seems like both girls agree that the greatest Disney movie ever is one that doesn't feature a royal princess at all.

Like every other child and adult in the world that heard "We Don't Talk About Bruno," Knightley's children have fallen in love with Disney's "Encanto." The family-centric animated film features several songs that went viral online, even garnering hundreds of millions of views on Youtube. The movie has become very popular with Knightley's family as well. "Encanto' is really big in our house," Knightley said during an interview with People. "I mean, massive. Even my 2-year-old can sing 'We Don't Talk About Bruno,' so there's a lot of 'Encanto."

Knightley sounds very satisfied with Edie and Delilah's choice of a favorite Disney film. She's expressed how impressed she is with the direction the beloved animation studio has gone in recent years. "I cannot say how amazing it is now; the variety of female characters, and how they look and their skin color, and what different cultures they're coming from," she told People. "I think all of that is so brilliant and so healthy."