A Royal Princess

We have recently finished studying our collection of Christina Rossetti's poems. We finished on 'A Royal Princess'.

This poem is both very different and very similar to Rossetti's other poems, that sounds strange I know, but in my opinion it's true. This poem like most others in the collection has an intense theme of disliking males, in this case the princess's father. However in this poem, the princess is both powerful and completely helpless, this is something I don't think has been part of any other poem in the collection.

She is never named and so seems powerless to the male figure who is 'a lofty king, accomplished in all kingly subtitles'. However he power comes entirely from sacrifice, this is good as it gives the princess a name of giving and helping others in comparison to her fathers greed. I can't help but find it incredibly strange however, that she has to in essence risk her life in order to gain power.

Does this theme suggest that all women must sacrifice to gain power and recognition?