I agree!

I never believed that the prince was only 11 when he was cursed. I always thought it was odd when others made that claim. He's clearly a man in the portrait. Also, who would put a curse on an 11-year-old? It doesn't even make sense. The whole point was that he was a selfish, uncaring man, and being turned into a beast and meeting Belle was how he eventually learned to love. The prince did NOT go through puberty while in the form of a beast!

The entire castle was placed under an enchantment for an undisclosed length of time (possibly 21 years, depending on how you interpret the "21st year" comment about the rose), during which they didn't age. Just look at Chip. He's clearly a very young child. But he obviously wasn't born as a teacup! And when the Beast turns back into a human at the end, he looks the same age as he did in the portrait. They were all frozen in time.

In the trailer for the upcoming Disney movie, it shows him as a child in the portrait. So, I'm not really sure where they're going with that... I honestly think it's ridiculous to make him be a child when he is cursed.

If that's really what they're going to do in the upcoming movie, then that's just dumb. He clearly was never meant to be a child in the 1991 movie. And don't forget that in one version he got turned into a beast because he refused a fairy's advances. Clearly not a young boy!

Yes he was still 21 or 20 or 18 and Lumiere did said "10 years we have been rusting" as it took 10 years for the young lady to go to the castle to meet the troubled title creature man

But the rose was supposed to bloom till Prince is 21 years old and Lumiere did sing they were enchanted for 10 years old, so it clearly points to Prince being 11 years old in this, when he was turned into Beast.

@lotte1942 said:

But the rose was supposed to bloom till Prince is 21 years old and Lumiere did sing they were enchanted for 10 years old, so it clearly points to Prince being 11 years old in this, when he was turned into Beast.

Nono, nowhere does he sing that they've been enchanted for 10 years. He simply says they haven't had any guests in 10 years. Not that strange considering the prince's personality.

@Stratego! said:

Nono, nowhere does he sing that they've been enchanted for 10 years. He simply says they haven't had any guests in 10 years. Not that strange considering the prince's personality.

But this quote directly implies that they stayed 10 years as objects. I mean they had Belle's father and served him tea near fireplace, but still Lumiere sings how they were rusting for 10 years meaning that it was not about not having any guests at all ever in the castle, but about their fates.

@lotte1942 said:

But this quote directly implies that they stayed 10 years as objects. I mean they had Belle's father and served him tea near fireplace, but still Lumiere sings how they were rusting for 10 years meaning that it was not about not having any guests at all ever in the castle, but about their fates.

Ashman was a genius with lyrics. Don't take all of it literally. With that line Lumiere is mostly saying their skills as servants have been rusting for 10 years. Literally, as household objects, they weren't rusting as long.

@Stratego! said:

@lotte1942 said:

But this quote directly implies that they stayed 10 years as objects. I mean they had Belle's father and served him tea near fireplace, but still Lumiere sings how they were rusting for 10 years meaning that it was not about not having any guests at all ever in the castle, but about their fates.

Ashman was a genius with lyrics. Don't take all of it literally. With that line Lumiere is mostly saying their skills as servants have been rusting for 10 years. Literally, as household objects, they weren't rusting as long.

Ashman's lyrics are not that complicated, they are lovely, but not way too deep. Lumiere obviously is not saying that, since they just had Belle's father as their guest in the castle and he was shown some of their skills. It was not 10 years ago. The line is a direct reference to the timeline of their existence as objects.

A play on words is not "deep". Ashman just liked doing that, so you shouldn't just take it literally. He obviously also means they have been rusting figuratively. It's a clever line, just like the one about needing dusting. Maurice had been there only the night before, it was pretty much one big event. And he was welcomed by just a handful of servants who hardly had the opportunity to use their skills. But don't forget that the song was originally intended to be sung to Maurice.

Everything else, like the painting, the windows and Chip's age, shows that the prince was much older than 11 when he was cursed and that the curse didn't last as long as 10 years.

@Stratego! said:

A play on words is not "deep". Ashman just liked doing that, so you shouldn't just take it literally. He obviously also means they have been rusting figuratively. It's a clever line, just like the one about needing dusting. Maurice had been there only the night before, it was pretty much one big event. And he was welcomed by just a handful of servants who hardly had the opportunity to use their skills. But don't forget that the song was originally intended to be sung to Maurice.

Everything else, like the painting, the windows and Chip's age, shows that the prince was much older than 11 when he was cursed and that the curse didn't last as long as 10 years.

People don't want to listen and they refuse to think about the fact..would they want to be a Guest at some one who was spoiled, selfish and unkind no matter WHAT the person's age was. I been saying this for awhile

I just choose to believe that they did not age when cursed (like Sleeping Beauty) cos haha so many questions...why curse a spoiled 10 yr old prince (big punishment) & where were his parents or if dead - his council? like in Game of Thrones if King is underage. Lumiere & Cogsworth?

Also, if you turn into an item like a teacup but can walk...will you sleep in a cupboard? The castle is so big. And how come he has so many siblings in that cupboard? Was he adopted? Where are the real teacups, did they put them in a storage so they can use the cupboard as their room???

So yeah lol willing suspension of disbelief, I love Beauty & the Beast

That is one thing I really liked about the live action version. They cleared that up right in the beginning ;)

@Phasmophobia said:

I agree!

I never believed that the prince was only 11 when he was cursed. I always thought it was odd when others made that claim. He's clearly a man in the portrait. Also, who would put a curse on an 11-year-old? It doesn't even make sense. The whole point was that he was a selfish, uncaring man, and being turned into a beast and meeting Belle was how he eventually learned to love. The prince did NOT go through puberty while in the form of a beast!

The entire castle was placed under an enchantment for an undisclosed length of time (possibly 21 years, depending on how you interpret the "21st year" comment about the rose), during which they didn't age. Just look at Chip. He's clearly a very young child. But he obviously wasn't born as a teacup! And when the Beast turns back into a human at the end, he looks the same age as he did in the portrait. They were all frozen in time.

In the trailer for the upcoming Disney movie, it shows him as a child in the portrait. So, I'm not really sure where they're going with that... I honestly think it's ridiculous to make him be a child when he is cursed.

I honestly agree that the prince was a young man when he was turned into the Beast, not an 11 year old child like many have come to falsely believe, it's like the Stockholm Syndrome argument which isn't true either. The song in question I believe doesn't mean they were all been cursed for 10 years, for what I think the prince actually had a nasty temper long before the curse and they hadn't had any guests for a long time. Putting a curse on a 11 year old does not make any sense at all.

He was 12 actually

Ok, I guess we just have to accept that he was 11-12 when he turned.