18-year-olds refuse to let their friend dress up as a princess for a Renaissance Faire, claim they can be the only princesses: 'Your friend is acting like a 5yo at her birthday party'

Author image for JR Atkinson
JR Atkinson • Writer and Editor
Sep 28, 2025 10:00 PM EDT

Remember when you were a kid and you'd fight with your friend over who got to be what Power Ranger? You all wanted to be the pink one, let's be real. But there is only one pink one. Most of us grow out of this behavior, even if it's just in less acute ways. You realize that you can all wear the pink one. There are no rules in make-believe. 

What matters is that you treat everyone with respect and realize that we're all on our own journeys. That's not what happened in this situation, when a group of teenagers acted about a decade younger than they actually were. When two couples invited their 5th friend to a Ren Faire, they had very specific parameters for how they wanted them to participate. Despite nobody being anyone's boss, some people couldn't help it and tried to exert control over the whole situation. One woman was left wondering if she was in the wrong for planning to attend in a costume of her choice. Everyone was going to be wearing similar costumes anyway, right?

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  • A group of three women in Renaissance garb share a snack at the fair.
    via Unsplash+ (Roberta Sant'Anna)

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • So she turned to the internet for a little bit of help understanding her situation. Were her friends just being entitled and weird, or was she in the wrong for wanting to dress up like a princess? Did everyone suddenly become a bratty 6-year-old girl? Read on to see what happened in the story. 

  • AITA for wanting to be a princess too?

    I (18F) was invited to go to a renaissance fair with a couple of my friends. It would be me and two other couples. Before asking me, they made sure I wouldn't mind being the 5th wheel (which I don't). A few days after the couple that invited me (18F) and (18M) asked what I was thinking for my costume. I replied that I wanted to be a princess with a
    via u/Huge_Oil_3845
  • hennin. My friend replied that she was going to be the same thing, wearing a green dress. I said that I also wanted to be wearing green but would settle for blue since she had already decided. But they were both pretty against me being a princess, even if wearing a different color, their reason being that because it was couples costume for them (knight and princess) it would be weird if I
    via u/Huge_Oil_3845
  • also a princess. They also added that people wouldn't be able to tell who was the couple between us. I feel like it's not that serious. We suggested other costumes (I suggested being her lady-in-waiting, but she was very against that and they suggested I be a court jester or wizard but I would really like to wear a dress/something girly). By the end of the conversation
    via u/Huge_Oil_3845
  • it seemed like everyone was getting a little frustrated and my friend told me I could wear whatever I want and that it was my choice. But I'm not sure if she would still prefer me not to be a princess/be upset but me doing so. So wibta if I wore a (distinct) princess costume as well?
    via u/Huge_Oil_3845
  • Two women and a man stand at a Renaissance faire.
    via Unsplash+ (Roberta Sant'Anna)

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • Commenters wondered how they got here.

    Fast_Ad_2232 • 16h ago NTA Arguing who gets to play the princess shouldn't be a thing after the age of 6. Kind of telling that she seems insecure who's going to be percieved as being with her boyfriend or not. Does she usually have jealous behaviors with you?
    via u/Fast_Ad_2232
  • hauntedbabyattack • 13h ago Even six year olds shouldn't act that way-if they do, the responsible adults around should be nipping it in the bud. Obviously OP's friend didn't have anyone to do that back in kindergarten.
    via u/hauntedbabyattack
  • OdoDragonfly • 15h ago If she NEEDS it to be very obvious that HER knight is HER date, she needs to get a handkerchief, ribbon, or small scarf/shawl the matches her outfit to tie to his arm as her 'favor'. You are NTA! Dress as thou pleaseth!
    via u/OdoDragonfly
  • quincebush ⚫ 16h ago • NTA It's a renaissance fair, it's going to be full of knights, princesses, wizards and jesters. Your friends objections to your dress are as laughable as they are ridiculous.
    via u/quincebush
  • NekoKnightUWU. 16h ago NTA. Go as a fairy or elf princess, or even a queen cause she ain't the boss of you, and you deserved to shine.
    via u/NekoKnightUWU
  • detail_giraffe · 16h ago • I'd be a queen or an empress. Let her be the princess if she wants that so bad.
    via u/detail_giraffe
  • SoMuchMoreEagle · 16h ago . NTA Your friend is acting like a 5yo at her birthday party.
    via u/SoMuchMoreEagle
  • be... 16h ago Edited 16h ago . • NTA that's wild. I've been to a lot of ren faire's with groups, the only question has ever been whether we were gonna be in costume or not. Can't imagine one of us trying to tell someone they can't dress as they wish. Dress in what makes you happy, that's what ren faire is for.
    via u/beanthebean
  • And I don't think you're going to holding hands/hanging off her boyfriend, it should be pretty obvious who he's with, but also it doesn't matter if someone can't tell they're dating just by glancing at your group. How silly. There are going to be tons of other princesses, is she worried someone will think a stranger is her boyfriend's girlfriend?
    via u/beanthebean
  • My husband and our single friend have a similar go to garb with leather chest armor and leather bracers, I've never been worried that someone will think I'm married to our friend instead.
    via u/beanthebean
  • sublime_369 · 16h ago . ΝΤΑ, Honestly ask yourself if this still sounds like fun. I would probably pass in your situation.
    via u/sublime_369
  • op... 15h ago ⚫ Edited 12h ago As someone who has worked Ren Faires and other costume events for probably much longer than you have been alive: these events are HOT. HOT HOT HOT. Wearing polyester and plastic fabrics and shiny stuff, you are going to ROAST. Get to the event. Go to the costume rental
    via u/ophymirage
  • booth (try to go reasonably early). Get a shift, two skirts, and a bodice, all out of cotton, and buy a broad straw hat at one of the booths. You will be SO, SO much more comfortable. and then you can laugh at your friend being a miserable princess, and her partner being an even more miserable and dehydrated knight.
    via u/ophymirage
  • mtntrls19 16h ago . There will be a thousand other princesses there - dress however the h I you want!
    via u/mtntrls19
  • Visible-Yellow200 16h ago Sounds like your one friend has some insecurity and feels like you'd outshine her. Personally, I don't think you wbta, it's a ren-faire it's really not that big of a deal.
    via u/Visible-Yellow200
  • this_is_nunya 15h ago • NTA. If you want to preserve your friend's feelings (and honestly, no shade if you don't, she sounds exhausting), you could bring a frog plushie and have that be your "prince." :)
    via u/this_is_nunya
  • ladystetson • 16h ago NTA but if they're being weird maybe it's not a good idea to go with them?
    via u/ladystetson
  • verminiusrex • 15h ago . NTA. It's a renfaire, nobody cares. You don't have a say over their outfits, and they don't have a say over yours. Unless someone is a standout costumer, you are all going to blend with the crowd of patrons.
    via u/verminiusrex
  • Alternative-Town 15h ago NTA but I think the problem here is you are attractive and they are jealous of you, and worried their boyfriends will look at you if you are dressed pretty. Might be kinda bad friends
    via u/Alternative-Town
  • mbudziRN 15h ago NTA your friends sound like toddlers
    via u/mbudziRN
  • shahgila 16h ago NTA. Wouldn't there be other people dressed as princesses at the fair too? Are they going to tell them not to dress up as such as well?
    via u/shahgila
  • alien_overlord_1001 15h ago NTA. There will be a lot of princesses there - because in ye olde times, everyone was a princess. Go as you want - but they sound like the kind of people who are going to hold it against you. Be prepared for that.
    via u/alien_overlord_1001
  • Valuable Wrongdo... 15h ago NTA but this friend WILL be jealous and will probably make the event miserable if you still be a princess. I would suggest not going with them and finding a different ride, or unless you have a strong head and can stand your ground, don't let them walk all over you. Don't be a princess, be a Queen.
    via u/Valuable_Wrongdoer61
  • KnickKnockers 15h ago • Has Princess Pee Green with Envy paid for your ticket? If not, she get's no say in your costume. You know you don't have to hang out with Princess Pee Green at the Faire. BTW what are the other couple wearing? Is she in a princess outfit? Has Princess Pee Green told her and her partner off for dressing as Princess and Knight? NTA (edited for clarity)
    via u/KnickKnockers

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friendship relationship advice aita renaissance drama AITAH best friends renaissance faire storytime friends listen to your friends reddit story relationships friend drama friend story reddit thread Reddit discourse princesses conflict
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