Tiana's Palace,[3] formerly known as Eudora's Palace, is a New Enchanted Forest location featured on ABC's Once Upon a Time. It first appears in the fifth episode of the seventh season.
Tiana's Palace is based on the king's castle from the fairytale of "The Frog Prince" and on the location of the same name from the Disney film The Princess and the Frog.
History
After helping to win a war in the New Enchanted Forest, Eudora's husband is granted the title of prince, and with his wife, he succeeds in rebuilding their portion of land into their own kingdom. He and Eudora reside in the palace, and after his death, Eudora and her daughter Tiana live there. As finances become strained because of the King selfishly increasing taxes in the realm, Eudora and Tiana are forced to sell off some of their valuables to make ends meet. These wares are put on display in the courtyard for prospective buyers to look at, but Tiana, upon seeing the Firefly Ruby has been put out, withdraws it from sale because it was awarded to her father for his heroism in the war. Drizella, after hearing the story, snidely remarks that it's too bad that her dead father won't be able to save her and her mother from bankruptcy. When Tiana unhappily talks to her mother about not living the charmed life she thought she would have, Eudora suggests looking for a hero to save them. Tiana thinks this is a good idea and later finds a prince, Marias, with the help of a witch doctor named Dr. Facilier. She spends her evening with Marias on the balcony in her room, where she tells him about how her father earned the Firefly Ruby and her fears that everything he worked for is coming undone. Marias promises to keep that from happening and then wishes her a goodnight until they meet again. As the prince leaves, Tiana is giddy with excitement but soon notices the ruby is missing and catches Marias trying to sneak off with it. Marias confesses his real name is Robert and he was stealing the ruby for Dr. Facilier because the man is holding his true love captive. Upon learning the truth, Tiana realizes just how selfish she has been thinking about her own happiness when the whole kingdom is suffering without anyone to help them. Pinning her father's medallion to Tiana's dress, Eudora encourages her to be the hero that people need. ("Greenbacks")
Sometime after successfully defeating Lady Tremaine and restoring peace to the kingdom, Tiana is in the palace's dressing room with Ella and Regina as they help her prepare for her coronation. Dr. Facilier arrives with news of a threat to her kingdom that she must see to, and as proof of his claims, he directs her into going to the Fairy Docks near the southern edge of the bayou. Despite the probability that Facilier is lying, Tiana decides to investigate if there is a chance he is telling the truth and her people's lives are at stake. After eliminating the threat with Prince Naveen's help, at the cost of losing him to Facilier, Tiana reports back to her friends at the palace to tell them what happened, including the fact Facilier tricked her into helping him just so he could retrieve a lost necklace. As Tiana is unable to rescue Naveen at the moment, she decides to focus on her people instead by moving forward with the coronation. She asks her mother, Regina, Hook, Ella, and Henry join her as she can't protect her people on her own and trusts they will help her. As Henry picks up his baby daughter Lucy from her crib on his way out, he notes that Regina is not following everyone out. Regina insists on having a moment to herself, and after Henry is gone, she tells Facilier to come out, having known he was watching the whole time. Facilier steps out, suggests she can stop pretending to be upset to see him now that her friends are gone and then shows her the necklace which once belonged to her. Regina remembers the necklace but states he shouldn't bother returning it now that she is a different person from the one he knew. She questions what he gets out of the situation, and Facilier caresses her cheek before admitting he misses her. The pair then share a passionate kiss. ("A Taste of the Heights")
In the courtyard of Tiana's palace, Henry and Ella sit under a pavilion as they happily fawn over baby Lucy. Hook watches them from nearby with a saddened expression, to which Regina offers supportive words about his daughter, Alice, whom he is separated from because of his poisoned heart. An open portal appears in the courtyard, causing everyone to be on guard for a possible enemy, but Zelena walks through with news of her daughter Robin having been kidnapped by Mother Nature. Zelena is upset at Regina for giving Robin the spell book which enabled her to summon Mother Nature and refuses her help in finding her daughter. As she begins storming out of the courtyard to begin the search on her own, Hook tries to follow, to which she tells him to piss off, in addition to calling him by the nickname "Nook." Hook, having his own bone to pick with Gothel as she is the reason his heart is cursed, persuades her to let him join her. ("Secret Garden")
On the day of Lucy's eighth birthday, her family and friends throw her a party in the courtyard. Drizella, who was frozen eight years earlier with blood magic, remains there as a statue, however, Gothel and her coven of witches show up to free her, with intentions of aiding her in casting the Dark Curse. Later in the courtyard, as Lucy is sitting with the Once Upon a Time book in her lap, her parents come to tell her about a plan they have to prevent Drizella's curse which she will be a part of. Lucy gets up to prepare for the journey with her father, and as she goes, Ella weeps, telling her husband that she's not sure they're doing the right thing. Henry, however, says if Regina can't stop the curse, this is the only way they can protect everyone. When Lucy returns sometime later to report that Henry was taken by the witches, Tiana urges Hook, Regina, Ella, and Jack to find him while she stays behind to look after Lucy, however, Ella persuades everyone that doing so will only distract them from the curse. Tiana remains in the castle with Lucy as the others, along with Zelena, go to confront Drizella and Gothel. After Drizella forces Regina to cast the curse in order to save Henry's life, the curse cloud sweeps across the realm, and as it closes into the palace courtyard, Tiana and Lucy brace for what is coming for them. ("The Eighth Witch")Trivia
Set Dressing
- The painting Lee Priory, Kent (1785) by the Irish engraver John Dixon is hanging on the wall in Tiana's palace. It depicts the Lee Priory, a lost British country house in Littlebourne, Kent, which was demolished in 1953.[4] ("A Taste of the Heights")
Costume Notes
- The yellow robes worn by Tiana's royal guards[5] were previously worn by Prince Eric's guards in "Ariel."[6] The royal crest printed on the robes is also the same: A seahorse in a vertical position with its head up (hauriant). In heraldry, the seahorse is a hybrid with the fore quarters of a horse with webbed paws, and the hind part of a fish or dolphin. A scalloped fin runs down the neck and back in place of a mane.[7] ("The Eighth Witch")
- The purple coats worn by Tiana's servants[8] were previously worn by other servants throughout the series: ("The Eighth Witch")
- The King's servants in "The Price of Gold"[9]
- King Xavier's servants in "The Miller's Daughter"[10]
- The Red Queen's servants in the Once Upon a Time in Wonderland episode "Trust Me"[11]
- The Red King's servants in the Once Upon a Time in Wonderland episode "Heart of Stone"[12]
- King Midas' servants in "Snow Drifts"[13]
- Prince Thomas' servants in "The Other Shoe"[14]
- King David and Queen Snow's servants in "Wish You Were Here"[15]
- The King's servants in "Hyperion Heights"[16]
- A spectator at Roni's coronation in "Leaving Storybrooke"[17]
Filming Locations
- The scenes in the palace's garden in "Greenbacks" were filmed in the VanDusen Botanical Garden in Vancouver.[18]
- The scenes at Tiana's palace in "The Eighth Witch" were filmed on a blue-screen set at The Bridge Studios.[19]
Appearances
Once Upon a Time: Season Seven | ||||||||||
"Hyperion Heights": | "A Pirate's Life": | "The Garden of Forking Paths": | "Beauty": | "Greenbacks": | "Wake Up Call": | "Eloise Gardener": | "Pretty in Blue": | "One Little Tear": | "The Eighth Witch": | "Secret Garden": |
Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Appears | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Appears | Appears |
"A Taste of the Heights": | "Knightfall": | "The Girl in the Tower": | "Sisterhood": | "Breadcrumbs": | "Chosen": | "The Guardian": | "Flower Child": | "Is This Henry Mills?": | "Homecoming": | "Leaving Storybrooke": |
Appears | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent |