The Royal Court selection process is a self-nominating procedure. More than 100 applications for the program are received each year from young women representing different colleges and universities from around Kentucky and the region.

The Derby Festival and The Fillies, Inc. begin accepting applications for the Royal Court in the fall prior to the upcoming Festival season.

Selection to be a Princess is a multi-step process that lasts several weeks:

Step 1:  When applications open, interested and qualified young women submit their application and information online at KDF.org/Royal Court.

Step 2:  All qualified applicants move on to a preliminary screening and interview process with representatives from the community, The Fillies, Inc, and the Kentucky Derby Festival. The preliminary screening leads to the selection of the top 25-30 Finalists.

Step 3:  The Finalists then participate in a second round of interviews in early January with a judging panel of representatives from outside Kentucky and Southern Indiana.

Step 4:  Five Princesses (along with two alternates) are selected from the Finalists and crowned as members of the Royal Court in early January and continue their reign through May.