I suppose it started with the Fisher Price Family Castle - 1974-ish, plastic, with the moat, the secret passage and the dungeon. There was a carriage, a queen, a king, a princess and a prince. It had four turrets, a plastic pennant and smelled so artificial. I remember playing with the Queen and she always had to have a Prince and a Princess next to here - but they weren’t her children, according to my stories. No, the Queen kissed them both, and the King sat ignored in the carriage, or rolled under the couch. The Queen had to have a boyfriend AND a girlfriend. She got to “play” with the both. “Playing” consisted of the Queen and one of her friends making smooching sounds (supplied by yours truly), while horizontally rubbing up against each other. And it was so much fun…

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