Identity
One of the major themes of the film is that of identity. From the get go we don't know exactly who Danielle's father is, nor do we know who Rodmilla is and where she's come from. All we are given is the relationships are set up in a very hard lined way when Danielle's father dies unexpectedly, nearly as soon as Rodmilla and her two daughters arrive. Later in the film Danielle uses her mother's name in order to have the Prince believe that she is of noble blood and refuses to reveal her true station in life to him until the end of the film. Interestingly enough, Danielle is of noble blood and was raised by her father to think deeply and care genuinely for the people of her land. By being raised in this identity by her father the Prince has met a woman that will not just be a walking crown, but a woman who will rule along side him when he becomes King.
The antithesis to Danielle's journey of identity is that of Rodmilla and Marguerite. They come to inherit all that was Danielle's fathers after he dies. They use their nobility to edge their way into the good graces of the King and Queen, but their true nature is hidden until the very end of the film. It is discovered that they merely deceive everyone in order that they might believe they are fit to be of a royal family, when in truth they do not have the nobility of heart necessary to rule France with grace.
Class
The story takes place in Renaissance-era France. During this time class structure wasn't just terminology, it was literally boundaries that were lived by. A peasant could not marry royalty and vice versa. The relationship between Danielle and the Prince shows that while they may technically be of a different station in life, they are very much equals, if not unequal in that Danielle has a mind and a heart for the people that far outreaches that of Prince Henry.
What we experience in the film is the necessity for class fluidity, and that a title is not what defines a person, but rather who that person is and what they do because of who they are. Prince Henry is able to make a vast change and reject the royal decree that he must marry noble blood by choosing Danielle for his bride. The act of marrying her opens up the opportunity for all the people of France to believe that they can become more than what they are born into.
Greed
Rodmilla and Marguerite embody the theme of greed. They are selfish and concern themselves solely with what they can get out of life and they have their eyes set on the crown. Rodmilla inherits her husbands home and lands as her property and views Danielle in the same manner. She puts her to work as a servant in order to strip the nobility out of her. Rodmilla's greed goes so far that she sells her step-daughter in order to get all of the items she's sold off of her late husband in order to have any money. This greed is finally exposed when Rodmilla's lie to the Queen shows the entire royal court that she and her daughter have been deceiving everyone in order to place themselves inside the palace walls. This same greed has their noble status stripped from them and they are forced to work the rest of their days as servants.
