Ariel Winter Pays Tribute to Her ‘Sofia the First’ Disney Cartoon Character

Ariel Winter is saying goodbye to Sofia the First, and the actress penned an emotional farewell to her character Princess Sofia.

After seven years in the shoes of a princess, Ariel Winter is laying down the crown. Disney’s Sofia the First, an animated children’s series about a newly minted princess navigating her new ranks as a royal, is coming to an end. On Thursday, following an extended-length finale of the show, Winter took to Instagram to post a tribute to her character, the series, and the fans.

“It’s taken me so long to post about the ending of Sofia The First because for a large part of my life, it is a project that has been so near and dear to my heart and I needed time to formulate what I wanted to say,” Winter wrote.

“For the past 7 or so years, I’ve been so lucky to play Princess Sofia, as well as work with the amazing team that made this project as special as it is,” she continued. “Sofia is an incredibly strong, intelligent, kind and spunky young girl who is never afraid to take on any and all challenges that are thrown at her. She is a character that I am so proud of, considering I have young nieces, nephews, and god children who are influenced by the characters they idolize on TV.”

“It has been an absolute honor to get to bring her character to life over the 4 seasons and multiple specials we were allowed to make,” she wrote, going on to thank the cast and crew of the animated series, adding “I don’t know what else to say other than thank you guys, and everyone at Disney Junior…for giving me this opportunity. Thank you Disney for allowing a special young princess like Sofia on the air.”

“While I am saddened that we are no longer making episodes, I look back on the time I spent with everyone so fondly…To the fans – we are so humbled and grateful that you enjoyed our show,” Winter continued. “Our first episode on 11.18.12 and our last on 9.8.18,’ she continued.”

Sofia the First originally aired in 2012, with a focus on teaching children’s lessons of acceptance, loyalty, and friendship and quickly rising as one of Disney’s most popular animated programs. In August, it was announced that the series would be coming to an end.

Winter, who took on the role of Sofia three years after her breakout performance on ABC’s Modern Family, may also be preparing to say goodbye to somebody else, as Modern Family co-creator Christopher Lloyd recently teased that season 10 will feature a “significant character” death.