Queen Erika

Queen Erika is the main protagonist in Barbie as the Princess and the Pauper. She is played by Barbie, and voiced by Kelly Sheridan when she is speaking. Julie Stevens provides her singing voice.

Story
Erika is born in a kingdom on the top of a mountain. She and Princess Anneliese are born at the very same moment. Her parents are very poor and unable to care for her, so they borrow money from Madame Carp in order to do so.

Sometime later, Erika is made to work as one of Madame Carp's seamstresses in order to pay off the debt her parents owed. Erika is unhappy with the work she has to do, wanting instead to become a singer. However, Madame Carp keeps adding extra "interest" so that Erika will have to work forever. Erika does not give up hope and works hard to gain her freedom.

One day, Erika is out singing in the town square while her cat Wolfie collects the money she is earning from singing. Her singing catches Princess Anneliese's attention, and Anneliese walks over to hear Erika sing. Suddenly, Madame Carp appears, confiscates Erika's earnings, and orders her to get back to work.

Erika is surprised by Anneliese putting money in her collection cup. She reveals that her mother taught her the song when Anneliese praises it. The two take off their hoods and are amazed at how much they look alike. Erika tells Anneliese about her life at Madame Carp's, revealing she made Anneliese's favorite dress, and learns that Anneliese is to be married to King Dominick of Dulcinea in order to save the bankrupt kingdom. Anneliese also shows Erika her crown-shaped birthmark, which Erika does not have.

A dog suddenly appears and starts chasing Anneliese's cat, Serafina. Wolfie runs after the dog, and Erika and Anneliese start looking for their cats. After they find the cats, Anneliese's tutor Julian tells her they should be getting back to the castle, and Anneliese promises to have Erika sing at the palace one day.

The next day, Julian appears at Erika's workplace. Erika believes the princess sent for her to sing at the castle, but Julian informs her that Anneliese is missing and that he suspects the queen's advisor Preminger has taken her so that her wedding to King Dominick will be canceled. He asks her to masquerade as Anneliese until he can find the real princess. Erika initially refuses, not wanting to be imprisoned or worse for such a crime, but decides to do it in order to save her friend.

Julian takes Erika and Wolfie to the castle, where he gives Erika a blonde wig and teaches her how to act like a princess. Ambassador Bismark of Dulcinea is about to call off the wedding when Julian presents the now-disguised Erika to the assembled party. Erika apologizes to Queen Genevieve for running away, which was the story told by Preminger, causing him suspicion since she didn't say she'd been captured.

Unknown to Erika, Julian is captured in an attempt to find Anneliese, and Anneliese escapes and makes her way to the palace but is turned away, since the guards believe Erika is the real princess.

King Dominick, disguised as a page, decides to tell the princess that he disguised himself as a page. He opens her bedroom door and hears Erika singing from the princess's bathroom. That night, Erika panics over Julian's continued absence when Preminger arrives to escort her to meet King Dominick.

When Erika and Dominick meet, Dominick has already been enchanted by her voice and asks her to sing with him. She does, and over the next few days, they get to know each other better and fall in love. After Dominick calls Erika "honest, no pretenses" she breaks down, telling Wolfie that she is falling in love with him.

The night before the intended wedding, Erika is stressed. Dominick gives her a beautiful diamond ring, and they lean in to kiss, but then Preminger arrives with some guards, ordering them to seize Erika. Preminger lies to the queen, telling her that Erika and Julian hid Anneliese in the royal mine so that Erika could marry Dominick and take over the kingdom. He goes on to say that he tried to rescue Anneliese but Erika and Julian had already caused a mine collapse, killing Anneliese and leaving only her ring, which Preminger shows the queen. Reluctantly, the queen checks Erika's shoulder, finding no royal birthmark. Preminger's dog Midas pulls off Erika's wig. Erika tries to tell the truth, but no one believes her and she is thrown in the dungeon. In the dungeon, Erika sings sadly, mourning her situation and lost friend.

On the day of the wedding of Queen Genevieve and Preminger, Erika decides she has to escape. She sings, lulling the man guarding her sleep, and makes a hook out of hay and her hairpin. She uses it to get the keys from the guard. After opening the cell door, she runs, which wakes the guard. Erika continues running until she is caught by another guard. The first one orders the second one to lock Erika up, but the second one says the queen ordered him to take her to the castle.

On the way out of the dungeon, Erika steps on the guard's foot. He removes his helmet, revealing himself as Dominick. He says that he doesn't believe Erika is the person Preminger said she was and came to rescue her.

On their way out, they witness Anneliese return and stop the wedding between her mother and Preminger. Anneliese reveals Preminger's plot, and Preminger flees on horseback. His sidekicks, Nick and Nack, make a run for it, but Anneliese trips Nick and Erika trips Nack. Erika witnesses Preminger's horse betray him, sending him flying into the wedding cake.

Anneliese pays off Erika's debt to Madame Carp, setting her free. She decides to pursue her dream to travel the world and sing. Dominick wants her to stay, but she declines. She does, however, agree to take the diamond ring he presented to her earlier. Dominick promises to wait for Erika.

After months of traveling, Erika longs to go home and marry Dominick. She appears in Dulcinea's castle courtyard, and marries Dominick in a double wedding, where Anneliese and Julian also get married.

Personality
Erika is strong, loving, and brave. She loves to sing and likes to sing around the world. She has a strong determination to pay off her parent's debt and be free of working for Madame Carp. Her braveness shows through when she agrees to pretend to be Anneliese and when she escapes from the dungeon. During that time, she fell in love with King Dominick, who was about to marry the real princess. Erika also has a sense of humor.

Physical Appearance
Erika has light skin and blue eyes.Erika's hair is slightly wavy and brown, her bangs are held back with a braid. Erika's main dress color is light blue. It has sleeves that go halfway down her arm, with a ribbon and white mesh. The bodice has crossed, pink ribbons down the middle and is blue on the outside. The skirt is blue with white and pink in the middle, with flowers on the white part. It was her only dress before being disguised as Princess Anneliese.

Erika wears a blonde wig to look like the princess and a gown with a mixture of colors. It's mainly blue, but has light pink accents. The trim around the bodice is gold and has white down the middle. The skirt is blue, white and yellow. When sleeping in the palace, she wore a pastel yellow nightdress with a white neckline. While singing "The Cat's Meow" to Wolfie, she wore a long pink dressing gown with ruffles at the neckline. Her hair is normal brown.

Erika's wedding gown is white and dark blue. It has blue stripes down the bodice and on the skirt. There is a white mesh on the top and the sleeves. The skirt has wavy folds on the bottom. Her veil has three blue roses on the top.

Songs
Songs that Erika has sung or took part in
 * "Free"
 * "Written In Your Heart"
 * "I Am A Girl Like You"
 * "To Be A Princess"
 * "The Cat's Meow"
 * "If You Love Me For Me"
 * "To Be A Princess (reprise)"

Quotes

 * [Singing] "All my life I've always wanted to have one day for myself—not waking up with a pile of work on every shelf! With no hems in need of pressing, and no sleeves in disarray, no wedding gown with a thousand stitches to crochet, and no debt to pay!"
 * Madame Carp: [After catching Erika singing] "What do you think I'm running here? A cabaret?"
 * "I would've said a debtors' prison."
 * [Singing] "Though I know I have so little, my determination’s strong. People will gather around the world to hear my song!"
 * [To Anneliese] "At least you’re not an "indentured" servant."
 * [Singing] "If I’d like to have my breakfast hot, Madame Carp will make me pay! And I have to fetch the eggs myself and the barn’s a mile away! It’s cold and wet, and still I get an omelet on my plate, but in my head I’m back in bed snuggled up and sleeping late!"
 * [When asked if she is a singer] "No, I work at “Madame Carp’s Penitentiary”—uh, I mean “Dress Emporium”."
 * [Julian comes to see her after Anneliese disappears] "I don’t believe it; the princess sent for me! I’m gonna sing at the castle —me! But I’m not ready. I have to rehearse! I’d better change my dress. Oh what am I talking about? I only have one dress!"
 * [To Wolfie] "Ah fella... [Singing] I can see it when you’re feeling low, you can’t hide that from me."
 * "Oh Wolfie, Julian and the princess are still missing, and I think I’m falling in love with the king!"
 * [After Dominick asks if she's leaving] "Dominick, I... All my life I’ve dreamed of being free. Now my debt’s been paid, thanks to Anneliese."

Trivia

 * Erika is based on Tom Canty from the original "The Prince and The Pauper novel by Mark Twain.
 * In Barbie: The Princess & The Popstar, Keira's name is an anagram of Erika's. They are similar characters who like to sing and write music.
 * Erika is the first character played by Barbie that is a brunette. The second is Keira.
 * She is the first peasant Barbie to marry royalty and become royalty through marriage.
 * She is probably born in May because rosa centifolia, Anneliese's favorite kind of roses, is also known as Rose de Mai, which means Rose of May. Since both of them were born at the same time, they were probably both born in May.
 * She shares the same name with Erika Juno, the popstar from Barbie in Rock 'n Royals.