APPLICATIONS FOR 2027 ROYAL COURT OPEN MONDAY
July 29, 2026. Louisville, KY. – The road to Kentucky Derby Festival royalty begins next week! Young women from Kentucky and Southern Indiana who are full-time college students (in at least their second year) are invited to apply to be part of the 2027 Royal Court. Applications open Monday, Aug. 3, and the deadline to submit is Sunday, Oct. 11. Applications must be submitted online at KDF.org/RoyalCourt.
“The Royal Court has been a Kentucky Derby Festival tradition for seven decades, recognizing accomplished young women from across our region,” said Matt Gibson, Kentucky Derby Festival President & CEO. “Being selected is an opportunity to represent the Festival, gain valuable experience and make connections and memories that last a lifetime.”
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® through a spin of the wheel at the annual Fillies Derby Ball®.
“Being part of the Royal Court is so much more than wearing a crown and smiling. It’s being able to inspire other young people and be a voice for those who don’t always see themselves represented,” said Tania Vergara-Gongora, Queen of the 2026 Royal Court. “Being part of the Court has been one of the greatest joys of my life. It gave me the chance to be an ambassador for the city I grew up in, and for a spring tradition that was such a big part of my upbringing.”
Each member of the Royal Court receives two $1,000 scholarships – one from The Fillies, Inc., and one from the Kentucky Derby Festival Foundation. The Foundation is the Festival’s charitable arm and supports initiatives that foster inclusive ways for the community to thrive, 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. The first Derby Festival Princess was crowned in 1957, the second year of the Festival. Since then, Derby Festival Queens and Courts have made an impression on their community. Previous Princesses include Miss Kentucky 2018 Katie Bouchard Wilkinson, 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 second year), with a minimum cumulative 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, 2026. More information and the 2027 application can be found online at KDF.org/RoyalCourt.
