Princess Irulan Corrino, portrayed by Julie Cox in the Dune miniseries

Princess Irulan Corrino is a character in the fictional Dune universe created by Frank Herbert. Irulan plays a minor role in the novels Dune and Children of Dune; but is a more significant character in Dune Messiah.

She is the oldest daughter of the Emperor Shaddam IV. She has been brought up with Bene Gesserit training to be a fitting Empress after his death. She is beautiful and haughty in equal measure.

Irulan plays a small role in Dune where at the end she is to be married to Paul Atreides to cement his control of the empire. Irulan is not displeased with the notion, because Paul Atreides is a fitting emperor and father of her children. She is not aware that Paul intends that the marriage be in name only.

Irulan schemes for the next decade to supplant Chani, Paul's beloved, in his affections, or at least make their marriage a real one and so produce the Imperial heir(s).

We learn in Dune Messiah that she had been feeding Chani dangerous contraceptives to prevent her from producing a imperial heir. Paul was aware of this through his prescient visions but did not change the situation because his visions made it clear that Chani would not live long past giving birth.

Chani changes to a restrictive spice diet and soon gives birth. However, she does not survive the birth of twins. Paul is blinded at about the same time and, being a good Fremen, walks off into the desert to die according to tradition.

Once Irulan accepts that Paul is dead, she realizes that she loved him, and from that point on she loyally devotes herself to the Atreides' cause. She also uses her literary talents to good effect to write rather good biographies and histories.