APPLICATIONS FOR 2025 ROYAL COURT OPEN THIS WEEK
July 29, 2024. Louisville, KY. – The search is on for Kentucky Derby Festival royalty! Young women from Kentucky and Southern Indiana who are full-time college students (in at least their 2nd year) can apply to be part of the 2025 Royal Court. Applications open Thursday, August 1, and the deadline to submit is Sunday, Oct. 13. Applications must be submitted online at KDF.org/RoyalCourt.
“Being part of the Kentucky Derby Festival’s Royal Court is more than wearing a crown, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience with leadership and professional development opportunities,” said Matt Gibson, Kentucky Derby Festival President & CEO. “The young women who are selected will represent the Festival, as well as Louisville and the Commonwealth. We look forward to seeing who will reign over our 2025 celebration.”
The Royal Court program celebrates the state’s most civic-minded and academically achieving college students. Each year, five young women are chosen as Derby Festival Princesses to represent the Kentucky Derby Festival, The Fillies®, the City of Louisville, and the Commonwealth of Kentucky as official ambassadors for the springtime tradition of the Festival. Then, one of the Derby Princesses® is crowned the Derby Queen® by a spin-of-the-wheel at the annual Fillies Derby Ball®.
“You learn so much about leadership, community service, civic engagement, and get to be at the helm of one of the most festive seasons in Kentucky,” said Ankita Nair, Queen of the 2024 Royal Court. “It is all about believing in yourself and being passionate about the community. I would encourage anyone interested in serving the Commonwealth of Kentucky to apply.”
Each member of the Royal Court receives two $1,000 scholarships – one from The Fillies, Inc., and one from the Kentucky Derby Festival Foundation. In addition to other sponsor gifts, each woman also receives a complimentary wardrobe.
The Derby Festival Royal Court® program is overseen by members of The Fillies, Inc., a non-profit organization with 250 community volunteers. Since 1957, past Derby Festival Queens and Courts have been making an impression on their community. They include Martha Layne Collins, Kentucky’s first woman Governor, Miss Kentucky 2022 Hannah Edelen, Miss Kentucky 2023 Mallory Hudson, and a number of other community leaders.
The Royal Court selection process is a self-nominating procedure. Applicants must be residents of Kentucky or the metropolitan area, including Clark, Floyd and Harrison counties in Indiana, and full-time college students (in at least their 2nd year), with a minimum accumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. Candidates must also be poised, outstanding in the community and 18 years old on or before December 31, 2024.
More information and the 2025 application can be found online at KDF.org/RoyalCourt.
