Princess Irulan

Princess Irulan
Dune character
Virginia Madsen in Dune (1984)
First appearance	Dune (1965)
Created by	Frank Herbert
Portrayed by	Virginia Madsen (1984 film) Julie Cox (2000 series / 2003 series) Florence Pugh (2024 film)
In-universe information
Affiliation	Bene Gesserit House Atreides
Family	House Corrino
Spouse	Paul Atreides
Children	Leto II Atreides (stepson) Ghanima Atreides (stepdaughter)
Relatives	Shaddam IV (father) Anirul (mother) Chalice (sister) Wensicia (sister) Josifa (sister) Rugi (sister) Farad'n (nephew)

Princess Irulan /ˈɪrəlɑːn/^[1] is a fictional character in the Dune universe created by Frank Herbert. She first appears in Dune (1965), and is later featured in Dune Messiah (1969) and Children of Dune (1976). The character's birth and early childhood are touched upon in the Prelude to Dune prequel trilogy (1999–2001) by Herbert's son Brian, and Kevin J. Anderson, and she is a principal character in the Herbert/Anderson series Heroes of Dune (2008–2009).

The character of Irulan serves as a de facto narrator in Dune, with excerpts of her later writings used as epigraphs before each chapter of the novel. Within the storyline, Irulan is established as the eldest daughter of the 81st Padishah Emperor Shaddam IV and Anirul, a Bene Gesserit of Hidden Rank, and has four younger sisters and no brothers. In Dune, the character appears in person only near the end of the novel, but continues as a regular character in the sequels Dune Messiah and Children of Dune. Epigraphs attributed to Irulan also appear—to a much lesser extent—in these subsequent novels, and others in the extended series.

Irulan is portrayed by Virginia Madsen in the 1984 film Dune, and by Julie Cox in the 2000 TV miniseries Frank Herbert's Dune and its 2003 sequel, Frank Herbert's Children of Dune. The character is played by Florence Pugh in the 2024 film Dune: Part Two.