King (Snow White) facts for kids

The King is an important character in the classic fairy tale Snow White. He is Snow White's father and the first husband of the Evil Queen.

Fairy tale King

The King's name is not usually mentioned in the fairy tale. He is the father of Snow White. His first wife, Snow White's mother, sadly passed away. After her death, the King married a very beautiful but jealous woman. She later became known as the Evil Queen. The story doesn't say what happened to the King after he married the Evil Queen.

King in Modern Stories

This section talks about how the King appears in different movies and shows based on Snow White.

Disney

In the famous 1937 movie Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the King doesn't actually appear. However, he was in a live-action musical version of the film.

At the start of the musical, the Evil Queen sees how much the King loves Snow White. She lies to him, saying she needs to arrange for her people's safety back home. The King is later very worried about Snow White. The Prince and Huntsman tell him about the Evil Queen's jealousy and her plans. The King then orders the Queen's lady-in-waiting, Luna, to be put in the dungeon. At the end of the musical, he is reunited with Snow White when she marries the Prince.

Grimm's Fairy Tale Classics

In the Grimm's Fairy Tale Classics cartoon version of Snow White, the narrator mentions the King when Snow White is born. After the King married the Evil Queen, the narrator says he was busy ruling his kingdom. Meanwhile, the Evil Queen was secretly planning to get rid of Snow White.

Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child

In this version of Snow White, which has a Native American theme, the King is called Chief Brown Bear. He is voiced by Graham Greene. When his wife dies, he marries Sly Fox, who is the daughter of another tribe's chief.

When White Snow goes missing, Chief Brown Bear organizes a search to find her. Later, he learns that Sly Fox was mean to White Snow. He reunites with his daughter and the Seven Little Men. He then tells Sly Fox that she will be punished. Sly Fox turns into a bear and goes into the Magic Mirror. The Seven Little Men throw the Magic Mirror off a cliff, trapping Sly Fox in the spirit world. Chief Brown Bear then allows Flying Eagle to marry White Snow.

Happily N'Ever After

In Happily N'Ever After 2: Snow White Another Bite @ the Apple, Snow White's father is combined with the character Old King Cole. He is voiced by Cam Clarke.

Once Upon a Time

In the TV show Once Upon a Time, the King is named King Leopold. He is played by Richard Schiff as an older man and Eric Lange as a young prince.

As a young prince, Leopold meets Cora. He later becomes King and marries Eva. They have a daughter, Snow White. After Queen Eva dies, Leopold marries Cora's daughter, Regina, to give Snow White a stepmother.

King Leopold is a kind ruler who cares about his kingdom and his daughter. When he finds the Genie's lamp, he doesn't wish for anything for himself. Instead, he frees the Genie and invites him to live in his castle. However, this leads to trouble. The Genie falls in love with Regina and plans to kill the King to free her from their marriage. The Genie puts poisonous snakes in the King's bed, which kills him.

Mirror Mirror

In the movie Mirror Mirror, the King is played by Sean Bean. Snow White's mother dies when Snow White is born. The King then marries an evil sorceress named Clementianna. She becomes his new Queen and Snow White's stepmother.

One day, the King leaves to fight a great evil that has invaded the land. He never returns. Queen Clementianna rules in his place and keeps Snow White in the palace. No one knows it, but the King has been turned into a Beast. This Beast is a creature with parts of a lion, dog, deer, chicken, eagle, and snake. It lives in the forests near the Queen's kingdom.

At the end of the movie, Snow White meets Queen Clementianna. The Queen reveals she can control the Beast and sends it after Snow White. The Beast captures Snow White, but it hesitates to harm her. Snow White sees that the Beast wears a necklace like the Queen's. She cuts the chain with her father's dagger. The Beast is then surrounded by light and turns back into Snow White's father. He doesn't remember the last ten years. The King is thankful to Prince Alcott for his help and allows him to marry Snow White.

Snow White and the Huntsman

In Snow White and the Huntsman, the King is named King Magnus. He is played by Noah Huntley. King Magnus ruled the Kingdom of Tabor with his wife, Queen Eleanor.

When Eleanor, Snow White's mother, gets sick and dies, King Magnus and his army rescue a woman named Ravenna. She was supposedly rescued from an invading dark army. King Magnus is enchanted by her beauty and marries her. Ravenna becomes his second wife and Snow White's stepmother. King Magnus did not know that Ravenna was an evil sorceress. Her "rescue" was a trick to take over his kingdom. On their wedding night, Ravenna stabs King Magnus to death in his bed. She then invades the entire kingdom with her real army.

Ever After High

In Ever After High, the King is called the Good King. He is the father of Raven Queen, whose mother is the Evil Queen.

Red Shoes and the Seven Dwarfs

In the Red Shoes and the Seven Dwarfs movie, which is a parody of Snow White, the King is called King White. He is voiced by Nolan North.