The Emperor's New Clothes
A fairy tale about a vain emperor exposed by a child.
"The Emperor's New Clothes" is a literary fairy tale by the Danish author Hans Christian Andersen, first published on 7 April 1837 in Copenhagen, Denmark, as part of the third and final installment of Andersen's Fairy Tales Told for Children. The tale concerns a vain emperor who is duped by two conmen posing as weavers, who claim to make clothes invisible to those who are incompetent or stupid. The story has been translated into over 100 languages and its title has become an idiom for situations where people pretend to see what they do not.
Quick Facts
- Title Orig
- Kejserens nye klæder
- Author
- Hans Christian Andersen
- Country
- Denmark and pp landia
- Language
- Danish
- Genre
- Literary fairy tale
- Published In
- Fairy Tales Told for Children. First Collection. Third Booklet. 1837. (Eventyr, fortalte for Børn. Første Samling. Tredie Hefte. 1837.)
- Publication Type
- Fairy tale collection
- Publisher
- C.A. Reitzel
- Pub Date
- 7 April 1837
- Preceded By
- The Little Mermaid
- Followed By
- Only a Fiddler
- Wikisource
- The Emperor's New Clothes
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The tale concerns an emperor obsessed with fancy new clothes, who spends lavishly on them at the expense of state matters. Two conmen visit his capital, posing as weavers, and offer to supply him with magnificent clothes invisible to those who are incompetent or stupid. The emperor hires them, and they pretend to work at empty looms. Officials, including the emperor's wise minister and the emperor himself, visit and each pretends to see the clothes to avoid being thought a fool. The conmen report the suit finished, mime dressing the emperor, and he parades before the city. The townsfolk go along with the pretense until a child blurts out that the emperor is wearing nothing. The crowd repeats the cry, but the emperor continues the procession, unwilling to admit he was duped.
Reader's Guide
Andersen's tale is based on a 1335 story from the medieval Spanish collection Libro de los ejemplos (or El Conde Lucanor) by Juan Manuel, Prince of Villena. Andersen read a German translation titled "So ist der Lauf der Welt" and altered the source to focus on courtly pride and intellectual vanity rather than adulterous paternity. There is also an Indian version in the Līlāvatīsāra by Jinaratna (1283), where a dishonest merchant swindles a king with a supernatural garment invisible to those of illegitimate birth. Commentaries by Hollis Robbins (2003) argue the tale rehearses controversies about meritocratic civil service, labor valuation, democratic power, and art appraisal, with its appeal lying in the truth-telling boy. Naomi Wood challenges this, suggesting the child's truth recognizes the terrifying possibility that words cannot protect from fears. In 2017, Robbins suggested the courtiers are models of men in a workplace who claim not to see harassment. The tale has been adapted to film, television, and music, including a 1953 UPA short, a 1965 Doctor Who reference, and a 1990 song by Sinéad O'Connor.
Did You Know?
- The tale was first published on 7 April 1837 alongside 'The Little Mermaid' in Copenhagen.
- Andersen's source was a 1335 story from the Spanish collection 'El Conde Lucanor' by Don Juan Manuel, Prince of Villena.
- There is an Indian version of the story in the Līlāvatīsāra by Jinaratna (1283), where a merchant swindles a king with a garment invisible to those of illegitimate birth.
- The phrase 'the emperor has no clothes' has been adopted as an idiom in numerous works.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the Emperor in 'The Emperor's New Clothes'?
He is the vain, wardrobe-obsessed ruler at the heart of Hans Christian Andersen's 1837 Danish fairy tale, who becomes the unwitting victim of two swindlers selling him a phantom suit of clothes.
What defines the Emperor's character and role?
His singular preoccupation with fashion makes him an easy target for con artists who claim to weave fabric that only the wise and competent can see. This vanity drives the entire plot of the story.
Why is the Emperor's New Clothes tale so important?
First printed in Copenhagen on 7 April 1837 by publisher C. A. Reitzel, the story has crossed into over 100 languages and its title now functions as a universal idiom for groups that collectively pretend to perceive something that does not exist.
Who wrote the Emperor's New Clothes and what genre does it belong to?
Danish writer Hans Christian Andersen authored the piece as a literary fairy tale, releasing it in the third and final volume of his Fairy Tales Told for Children collection.
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