The classic animated Disney movies are not safe from fan theories, especially when there are inconsistencies and plot holes that have never been solved, and Beauty and the Beast has an interesting one about Chip and who his real parents are. Although Walt Disney Pictures has explored various genres and styles for decades, the studio continues to be best-known for its animated features, especially those led by princesses and often based on other works – from novels to legends and not so kid-friendly fairy tales.
Disney’s first princess was Snow White, introduced in the 1937 movie Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, and the studio has since produced a total of 12 movies within the Disney Princesses franchise, as not all female leads in an animated Disney movie can be Disney Princesses (as is the case of Frozen’s Anna and Elsa). One of the most beloved movies within this faction of Disney movies is Beauty and the Beast, which introduced Belle (voiced by Paige O’Hara), a book-loving young woman who in order to save her father, becomes the prisoner of the Beast (Robby Benson), a prince transformed into a beast through a curse. This punishment extended to his servants, who were transformed into talking household objects, and among those was Chip (Bradley Pierce).
Chip is a young boy turned into a teacup thanks to the curse and is introduced as Mrs. Potts’ son. While they make an adorable pair, the ending of Beauty and the Beast left many questions about them, as when the curse is lifted and everyone returns to their human forms, Mrs. Potts is revealed to be too old to have a child like Chip, who looks to be around 5-7 years old. Although there are many questions about the ages of everyone in the castle and the passage of time, it’s now generally accepted that they didn’t age like normal people under the curse, so Chip was already part of this world when they were cursed. Now, as to who his parents are, a fan theory suggests he’s the Prince’s son, and his mother isn’t Mrs. Potts.
The theory (via Decider) suggests that the Prince is Chip’s real dad, based on their ages and how similar they physically are. It goes on to explain that the Prince had an affair with an unknown village girl, resulting in the birth of Chip. As having a “bastard heir” would have been quite the scandal and one that the Prince simply wouldn’t tolerate, he kept the child and Mrs. Potts took on the role of mother to young Chip. As for who Chip’s real mother is, the theory suggests is none other than the Enchantress who cursed the Prince and everyone else living in the castle, as she was heartbroken about the Prince leaving her and taking their son away. This part of the theory is supported by how the sorceress cursing them all because the Prince didn’t let her crash for the night isn’t that believable, so there could have been a lot more between them that led the Enchantress to punish him so severely, even if that included cursing her son as well.
Like many other fan theories, this one about Beauty and the Beast’s Chip isn’t confirmed nor denied and it probably never will, simply because there’s no need to. While this offers an interesting and darker perspective of the story and characters in Beauty and the Beast, and solves the mystery of how could Chip even be alive and how could Mrs. Potts be his mother, it’s unlikely Disney would have given a hidden backstory to the Prince, Chip, and the Enchantress, but it might be fun to keep it in mind the next time you watch this Disney classic.
