The Grand Duke

The Grand Duke is a major character in Cinderella. The Grand Duke is the King's right-hand man and is in charge of keeping peace in the Kingdom. The Grand Duke was featured in one of the film's most famous scenes. Due to this, the Grand Duke is a very iconic character. He was voiced by Luis van Rooten in the original film and later voiced by Rob Paulsen in current media.

Personality
The Grand Duke's most striking quality is that he is extremely sensible and usually calm, a direct foil to the King's romanticism and passionate temper. He is also rather nervous - likely due to the King's temper being taken out on him so frequently - but not depicted as cowardly. He feels that love at first sight is just a romantic fairy-tale, and points out to the King that the glass slipper which Prince Charming finds could fit any number of girls. He is extremely loyal to the King, despite showing fear of his threats when things go wrong.

The Grand Duke is the 3rd most powerful person in the kingdom after the King and Prince Charming, as he has authority over the guards and palace servants, at the King's orders competently and perfectly arranging the ball to welcome Prince Charming home and find him a wife.

Cinderella
In the 1950 film Cinderella, the Grand Duke was first shown with the King. The King tries to figure out how to find Prince Charming a wife, and orders the Grand Duke to arrange a ball to celebrate the Prince's return home and find him a wife.

The Grand Duke finds the King's ideas of love at first sight charming but unrealistic, and when he sees Prince Charming finding himself only bored by the women attending the ball, chastises the King gently, telling the king that his romantic ideas of the Prince suddenly seeing a strange girl and falling in love with her at first sight were a story seen only in fairy-tales (made especially ironic by the fact that the story of Cinderella is itself a fairy-tale). But even as he does so, Prince Charming sees Cinderella and is fascinated by her.

The King then orders the Grand Duke to ensure that Cinderella and Prince Charming have a perfect evening, undisturbed, which the Grand Duke competently arranges. However, when the clock strikes twelve Cinderella rushes off and the Grand Duke orders guards to try to stop her. He is unsuccessful, but Prince Charming swears that he will wed the girl whose foot fits the slipper. The Grand Duke points out sensibly to the King that the slipper may fit any number of girls' feet, but the King simply points out that that is the Prince's problem. He then orders the Grand Duke to find the girl who fits the slipper.



The next morning, after a long night of searching he finally arrives in the home of Lady Tremaine. After trying the slipper on Anastasia and Drizella, Cinderella appears. Despite Lady Tremaine's insistence that Cinderella is only a serving girl and could not possibly have been at the ball (though she is sure that she did), the Grand Duke is only too happy to try the slipper on her. Before the slipper is tried on though, Lady Tremaine trips the Grand Duke's valet and the slipper is destroyed, much to the Grand Duke's horror and terror at the King's reaction. Cinderella, however, takes out the slipper's match and the Grand Duke tries it on her, finding that it fits. The Grand Duke takes her Bruno, Major and the mice to the castle and they become royalty as Cinderella and Prince Charming become husband and wife.

Cinderella II: Dreams Come True
In the sequel, the Grand Duke reappears as the King's right hand man and assistant. The Duke helps Cinderella adapt to her new princess life which proves to be difficult. In the first story "Aim to Please" Cinderella must gain the ability to both act and dress as a princess as well as set up the royal ball. The Duke originally offered to help Cinderella but the job was instead given to his rival Prudence. In the end Cinderella throws an excellent ball while the Duke develops a romantic relationship with Prudence. In the next story, he and Cinderella have grown a close friendship and spend most of the current days working around the castle alongside it's staff. In the end of the segment the Duke and the King attend the carnival.

Cinderella III: A Twist in Time
In the third film, the Grand Duke reappears as a main character once again. Lady Tremaine has stolen the magical wand of the Fairy Godmother and change history so that Anastasia was the one who fit the slipper. The Grand Duke maintains his nervous personality and seems to have more of a friendship with Prince Charming in this film.

He first appears reliving his role from the first film after Lady Tremaine reversed time and fits the shoe on Anastasia. Unlike the villains of the film The Duke is oblivious to the time switch and has no knowledge he is reliving the shoe fitting. He gives Lady Tremaine a tour of the castle and believes Anastasia will not make a decent wife. The Duke attends the wedding where Cinderella is revealed to be the true princess and peace is restored.

House of Mouse
In the television series House of Mouse, the Grand Duke makes numerous cameos usually sitting with the King. In the episode "Ask Von Drake", the Duke was seen trying the slipper on Drizella until Ludwig Von Drake advised him to try it on Cinderella.

Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep
While dealing with the King's temper one night, the Grand Duke held suggestion for a royal ball to be held in order to find Prince Charming a bride. He later watched the ball as it took place, gladly seeing that the Prince had found a maiden (Cinderella) he seemed rather fond of.

However, Terra, who had escorted Cinderella safely through Unversed-infested halls, noticed that ther were more Unversed above the Ballroom and asked the Grand Duke for directions to reach the Balcony. To make matters worse, the Unversed fed off the jealousy of Lady Tremaine and her daughters and transformed into the Sympthony Master. Terra managed to slay it and asked the Grand Duke how long Unversed had been infesting the Castle of Dreams. The Grand Duke informed him that a boy in a mask visited the kingdom a little while ago and released the creatures, which obeyed him without question.

However, things toke a turn for the worse as at the stroke of midnight, the beautiful girl fled the castle, leaving behind a single glass slipper. It was then that the King gave the order to hold a search party, saying that any maiden who fit the slipper would be Prince Charming's bride. The Grand Duke then left without hesitation to carry out his command.

Eventually coming before the young Aqua, a Keybearer from outside the Castle of Dreams and informed her of Lady Tremaine's identiy after Aqua received a bad vibe from her. He then traveled to Tremaine's home to begin his search. Luckily, CInderella escaped from her room after being imprisoned by Lady Tremaine and he fitted the slipper on her foot. However, an Unversed created from Tremaine's jealousy tried to kill them. Luckily, Aqua slew it and its progeintor, allowing the Grand Duke to take Cinderella to the Prince.

Disney Parks
The Grand Duke make occasional appearances in the Disney Parks. Along with the King, he is very rare and is usually seen in shows.

Cinderella's Royal Coronation
In the live show Cinderella's Royal Coronation, The Grand Duke appears alongside the King a play a fairly large role in the show itself. The Grand Duke appears and introduces the King and later introduces Disney character guest such as Belle, Goofy, Jasmine and Aurora.

Disney Cruise Line Twiced Charmed
The Duke is a supporting character in the musical. The Duke is Prince Charming's clost friend and even perform in a song involving himself, Cinderella and Prince Charming.

Disney On Ice
The Grand Duke make appearances in the live Disney On Ice tour shows. Usually when the story of Cinderella is featured in Disney On Ice the story is retold and the Grand Duke make an appearance putting the slipper on Cinderella.

Trivia

 * The Grand Duke and the King made a small cameo in The Little Mermaid at the wedding scene.
 * Grand Duke's name was used for a Hotel in Disney's film Enchanted.
 * Grand Duke is also the name of a character in the Don Bluth film Rock-A-Doodle. Unlike the Cinderella character, however, that character, the Grand Duke of Owls, was the main villain.

Gallery
El Gran Duque