Who is Princess Irulan Corrino in Dune: Part Two? Florence Pugh character explained

The second instalment from director Denis Villeneuve returns to Arrakis, and once again follows Timothée Chalamet's Paul Atreides as he attempts to win the trust of the Fremen.

Alongside returning stars including Chalamet, Zendaya (Chani) and Rebecca Ferguson (Lady Jessica Atreides), the movie welcomes incredible newcomers like Pugh, who is mesmerising as the intelligent and calculating princess, and her on-screen father Christopher Walken (Emperor Shaddam IV).

Here's everything you need to know about Pugh's Princess Irulan - including her bigger role in the novels and (hopefully) films to come.

Who is Princess Irulan Corrino in Dune: Part Two? Florence Pugh character explained

Princess Irulan Corrino is the eldest daughter of Padishah Emperor Shaddam IV and throughout the movie, she advises her father about what's happening on Arrakis - and the best way to keep him on the throne.

She even goes so far as to encourage her father to let war break out so he can be seen as a saviour.

Towards the end of the film, when Paul defeats the Emperor's champion, Austin Butler's Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen, in a duel, he demands Irulan's hand in marriage despite his love for Chani.

Irulan agrees to the union on the condition that her father is spared, although, at this point, she is unaware of Paul and Chani's relationship.

Irulan is also a Bene Gesserit of Hidden Rank, although unfortunately this is only briefly visited in the film through her relationship with Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam (Charlotte Rampling).

In the books, the Bene Gesserit aim to use Irulan as a spy against her father.

Throughout the film, Irulan is also shown keeping diaries and documenting the events on Arrakis, as well as any communications she and the Emperor receive.

This is a glorious nod to her greater role in the novels, which see her documenting Paul's rise to the Imperial Throne through written works (with each chapter of the novel including an epigraph from her later works).

Another well-considered element is Pugh's role as a kind of narrator in Dune: Part Two - which is also a nod to her role as a narrator in the novels.

Although Princess Irulan is only introduced late into the first of Frank Herbert's novels, she has a big role to play in the following books, Dune Messiah and Children of Dune.

Excitingly, Villeneuve recently confirmed that this will be the case in the films, too, if he's able to make Dune Messiah, recently telling RadioTimes.com: "One thing that was important for me is that the audience will never perceive Irulan as a victim, and I needed an actress that would be able to convey tremendous amounts of information with no lines and just her eyes. And Florence is one of the best actresses of her generation.

"I approached her saying to her that Irulan will have the same journey from Part Two to the next movie than Chani from Part One to Part Two.

"In Part One, we barely saw Chani. She was just, like, a ghost, a dream, and she was introduced at the end of the Part One. And then she became one of the main characters of Part Two, and it will be the same for Irulan."

Why does Paul Atreides want to marry Princess Irulan?

Despite Paul and Chani's love story throughout Dune: Part Two, the film ends with a heartbreaking moment when Paul demands Irulan's hand in marriage.

However, earlier in the film, we see Paul promising that he will love Chani until his last breath.

He wants to marry Irulan purely for political reasons - to secure his place on the Imperial Throne after usurping Padishah Emperor Shaddam, and to keep peace.

Since Shaddam had expected Irulan to take over as Empress after his death, her union with Paul makes sense to smooth over the transition.

However, this union was not for love - at least not on Paul's side - and he only intends for Chani to bear his children.

While Irulan is unaware of Chani when she agrees to marry Paul, there's a beautiful moment towards the end of the film - a glance between Pugh and Zendaya - which suggests that Irulan is quickly realising there's more to their relationship than she may have initially known.

Who is Princess Irulan actress Florence Pugh?

Pugh has already had an illustrious career across film, with some of her most famous roles being Dani in Midsommar, Amy March in Little Women, Yelena Belova in Black Widow/the MCU, Alice in Don't Worry Darling and Jean Tatlock in Oppenheimer.

Previously chatting about taking on the role of Princess Irulan, Pugh told SFX: "It’s funny, I was asked this morning, 'Is she like any of the other feisty characters that I’ve played before?'

"Whilst she may be internally, I think she’s probably one of the quietest characters I’ve ever played. She is someone that is constantly listening, and always learning, and that was something that I was so excited [about] when I was reading the script.

"I always acknowledged that she was always aware, maybe when other people weren’t aware, that she was recording probably internally what was going on. She’s calculated."

What Dune novels does Princess Irulan Corrino appear in?

In Frank Herbert's original series of novels, Princess Irulan Corrino appears in the first three novels which form the original trilogy of books.

In Dune, Irulan serves more as a narrator through quotations of her histories on the time of Muad'Dib which opens each chapter, before finally appearing in the final climactic sequence of the book.

Irulan appears in a major role in the second novel, Dune Messiah, which is set 12 years after the end of the first novel. Her role as an Imperial Consort is a conflicted one in this book and many actions hinge on her decisions.

The character returns a final time in the third novel, Children of Dune, which is set nine years after the end of Dune Messiah, and also introduces us to Irulan's headstrong sister Princess Wensicia Corrino and nephew Prince Farad'n Corrino.

Outside of Frank Herbert's series of novels, Irulan has appearances in the expanded series of books by his son Brian Herbert and co-author Kevin J. Anderson.

These include appearances in a novel set between Dune and Dune Messiah, titled Paul of Dune, along with a book set between Dune Messiah and Children of Dune titled The Winds of Dune.

The character also appears in the Prelude to Dune series, appearing in the novel titled Dune: House Corrino, after her namesake family.

Read more:

• Dune: Part Two review – A spectacular return to Arrakis
• Dune: Part Two ending explained – What happened to Paul and Chani?
• Who is Alia Atreides in Dune: Part Two? Anya Taylor-Joy character explained
• Who is Lady Margot Fenring in Dune: Part 2? Léa Seydoux character explained
• What happened in Dune: Part One? Recap for the first Denis Villeneuve film in franchise
• How is Dune: Part Two different from the book? Book changes explained
• Stellan Skarsgård says reading Dune was “useless” for his Baron Harkonnen portrayal
• Dune director on casting Austin Butler: ‘I needed a playboy – a rockstar’
• Dune: Part Two cast – Full list of actors and characters in sequel
• What is the age rating for Dune: Part Two? Age suitability explained
• How to watch Dune: Part One on DVD, Blu-ray and streaming
• How to read all the Dune books in order

Dune: Part Two is in cinemas now. Check out more of our Sci-Fi coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what's on tonight.

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