When Tom Canty, a pauper and clumsy thief accidentally stumbles into the chamber of young Prince Edward, the two make a remarkable discovery: they look alike! Edward is about to attend a stuffy costume ball, and is inspired by an idea: switching clothes with poor Tom and attending the ball as a lowly pauper. The unknowing guards seize the prince and forcibly eject him from the castle, while the frightened and bewildered Tom is paraded out in front of the royal guests, including the King, and proclaimed by all to be the true Prince of Wales!
Both men find themselves way over their heads in their new identities, and neither can convince those around him of the truth. Matters grow even more complicated when the King Henry dies, leaving the throne to the imposter he believes is his son. Tom now finds himself faced with the prospect of marriage to the queen of Scotland, and possibly waging a war against France. He’s not equipped to do much of either.
Edward learns of the news of his father’s death, but he’s facing his own problems, as Tom’s abusive ogre of a father has taken his “son” to join up with a band of thieves, where he begins to learn of the plight of the poor who have suffered under Henry’s indifference. Somehow, he must escape and make it back in palace in time to convince everyone of the truth and make things right again, before the coronation that irrevocably places the crown on Tom’s head!
故事說，王子對生活感到膩煩。有一天剛好一名乞兒闖入宮中準備行竊。兩人發現彼此相貌很像。王子本來要參加一個很無趣的化裝舞會，於是跟乞兒互換裝束，過一過對方的生活。
王子被趕出了城堡。乞兒在舞會被立為王儲。兩人對新角色都很不習慣；只想回到原來的生活，但是旁人都不相信！這時，國王駕崩，乞兒要繼承王位，國王遺命要他娶蘇格蘭王後，而且英格蘭面臨對法國宣戰，把他急得跳腳！而此時，王子正被乞兒的父親硬逼著去參加偷竊集團！
經過千辛萬難，兩人終於恢復了原來的身份，過回了各自的生活。王子經過這番歷險，對下層人民的疾苦有了更深入的瞭解。
The Prince and the Pauper：
When Tom Canty, a pauper and clumsy thief accidentally stumbles into the chamber of young Prince Edward, the two make a remarkable discovery: they look alike! Edward is about to attend a stuffy costume ball, and is inspired by an idea: switching clothes with poor Tom and attending the ball as a lowly pauper. The unknowing guards seize the prince and forcibly eject him from the castle, while the frightened and bewildered Tom is paraded out in front of the royal guests, including the King, and proclaimed by all to be the true Prince of Wales!
Both men find themselves way over their heads in their new identities, and neither can convince those around him of the truth. Matters grow even more complicated when the King Henry dies, leaving the throne to the imposter he believes is his son. Tom now finds himself faced with the prospect of marriage to the queen of Scotland, and possibly waging a war against France. He’s not equipped to do much of either.
Edward learns of the news of his father’s death, but he’s facing his own problems, as Tom’s abusive ogre of a father has taken his “son” to join up with a band of thieves, where he begins to learn of the plight of the poor who have suffered under Henry’s indifference. Somehow, he must escape and make it back in palace in time to convince everyone of the truth and make things right again, before the coronation that irrevocably places the crown on Tom’s head!