Aslan Returns, Part IX: Miraz and Queen Prunaprismia

Miraz’s bid for the kingship begins before the film starts, yet he is not crowned until later, contrary to the book, where he is already king. However, he has an odd relationship with his wife, who, incidentally, stars the first about three to five minutes of the film, as the film immediately descends into Caspian’s escape from the castle and incidental discovery of the Narnians. But I digress.

Miraz and Queen Prunaprismia, who will be best remembered in my book as the person with the hardest name to type (I’ve mistyped about five times already, and we’ve only seen her name twice.), have a strange love/hate relationship, if they have a love part of the relationship at all. It is clear that Queen Prunaprismia did not marry for love—she even at some points seems to disdain Miraz. There are three key points of their relationship in the movie.

The Castle Raid
When Caspian rescues the doctor, the doctor mentions just slightly something about Miraz killing Caspian’s father, Caspian the IX. When pressed, Cornelius refuses to say anything much, so Caspian sets out (against the plan) to discover what exactly happened to his father. Thus he ends up in Miraz and Queen Prunaprismia’s bedroom, moments before Peter and Susan. With his sword at Miraz’s neck, and with the queen’s crossbow aimed at him, Caspian demands to know the truth: did Miraz really kill King Caspian the IX?

Queen Prunaprismia does not let Miraz answer.

“You told me Caspian [the tenth] died in his sleep!”

Miraz does not even look at her.

“He did die in his sleep.”

Emphasis on did.

Queen Prunaprismia is quite shaken, and not quite sure she is happy with how things are turning out. It is at this point that disdain clearly crosses her face, before firing the crossbow, and then screaming and crumpling up in a heap because she’s sure that Miraz is dead and she just killed Caspian.

Poor lady.

Miraz’s Crowning
There is nothing significant at Miraz’s crowning, unless you count those absent. Prunaprismia is not visible at the ceremony.

The Door Between the Worlds
The second person wishing to depart from Narnia, and going with Lord Sopespian is Queen Prunaprismia. Miraz is gone, and it is very clear that she wants a new life for both her and her son. It appears that her father goes with her. Aslan breathes on and blesses all three, and then they depart. She does not appear to mourn Miraz’s passing, nor does she hold a grudge against Caspian, or even Peter. She is instead clearly ready for a new life in a new place, where she can raise her son with a new hope. She is no longer poor, but is instead blessed. With her riches she found no blessing, but with her loss of the kingdom, she finds what she had been missing: blessing and hope.