Preminger convinces the Queen that Anneliese is dead and that they must marry to save the kingdom with no other options, she reluctantly agrees.Įrika escapes the dungeon by singing a lullaby, causing the guard to fall asleep, and taking his keys. Preminger returns to the palace, where he exposes Erika as a fake and has her imprisoned. Preminger takes Anneliese to the mines where she is imprisoned with Julian after Nick and Nack cause a cave-in. A suspicious Julian follows Preminger to the house where Anneliese was being kept and overhears Preminger's plans, but is discovered and captured.Īnneliese has Serafina take her ring and a tag from the dress shop so someone can find her unfortunately, Preminger and his dog Midas intercept her. Mistaking Anneliese for Erika, Madame Carp forces Anneliese into her shop and locks her inside. The real Anneliese escapes Nick and Nack, but is turned away from the palace because the guards think the Princess (Erika) is already inside. King Dominick introduces himself to the disguised Erika over time, the two fall in love, but Erika worries about what will happen if she is found out. Preminger is surprised when Erika, disguised as Anneliese, presents herself at the palace. Julian, doubting the letter, asks Erika to impersonate the Princess, saving the engagement while he investigates Anneliese's disappearance. That night, Anneliese and her cat Serafina are abducted by Nick and Nack, who leave a forged letter saying she ran away.

The two bond over their shared troubles and become fast friends. Anneliese and Erika meet and learn they are identical, apart from their hair color and the crown-shaped birthmark on Anneliese's shoulder. Anneliese hears Erika, who is performing in the street to earn money for herself, but Madame Carp collects it as part of her debt. Julian takes Anneliese for a day out into the kingdom so that she can be free for once there, she witnesses the poverty caused by the kingdom’s bankruptcy. Upon learning from his henchmen, Nick and Nack, that the Queen has arranged Anneliese's marriage to King Dominick, he decides to make Anneliese 'mysteriously disappear', which will cancel the engagement after which Preminger can pretend he has found the Princess, earning her hand in marriage, and allowing him to accede the throne and become king-himself. Unbeknownst to the Queen, the reason behind the kingdom's bankruptcy is her adviser Preminger has been stealing gold, emptying the royal mines. The Pauper Erika is an indentured servant, working off her parents' debt at Madame Carp's Dress Emporium, but dreams of becoming a singer and seeing the world. Several years later, Princess Anneliese is betrothed by her mother, Queen Genevieve, to the wealthy King Dominick to save the nearly bankrupt royal treasury however, she is in love with her young tutor Julian.

In an unnamed kingdom, a blonde princess and a brunette pauper are born at the same time.

Barbie princess and the pauper rating