APPLICATIONS FOR 2027 ROYAL COURT CLOSE OCT. 11
October 7, 2026. Louisville, KY. – The road to royalty is coming to a close! The deadline to apply for the 2027 Kentucky Derby Festival Royal Court is this week. Applications must be submitted by this Sunday, Oct. 11. Young women from Kentucky and Southern Indiana who are full-time college students in at least their second year can apply online at KDF.org/RoyalCourt.
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 Festival’s springtime tradition. From those five Derby Princesses®, one will be crowned the Derby Queen® by a spin of the wheel at the annual Fillies Derby Ball® Presented by Courtesy Cadillac on Saturday, April 10, 2027.
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 Princess 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 submission process is self-nominating. Applicants must:
- Be residents of Kentucky or the metropolitan area, including Clark, Floyd and Harrison counties in Indiana
- Full-time college students in at least their second year
- Have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
- Be 18 years old on or before December 31, 2026
- Demonstrate poise and a strong record of community involvement
Applications must be submitted online by 11:59 p.m. EST on Sunday, Oct. 11. For more information and to apply, visit KDF.org/RoyalCourt.
