The skies over Pierce County were a little gray this past weekend, but for those inside Pioneer Park Pavilion in downtown Puyallup on Sunday, February 5th, things were about to get a lot more yellow.
One by one, twenty-four of Pierce County’s brightest emerging leaders, athletes, scholars, and more, took to the stage to be crowned as official Daffodil Princesses. Each representing a local high school – selected on the merit of their impressive scholastic and extracurricular pursuits, as well as community service – these young ladies were crowned with glittering tiaras, and tasked by 2023 Festival President Madison Riddle to serve, with honor and distinction, as the Royal Court for the duration of the festival season.
Promenade serves as the official kickoff to the Daffodil calendar: as these high school seniors walk across the stage, in front of their friends, family, school, community representatives, and more, they gain not only the attire to fit the title, but demonstrate everything they’ve been learning over the past few months since their initial selections in October and November.
For Festival leadership, that makes it one of the most exciting events of the year.
“My personal favorite is Promenade – it’s the first time the Court is seen as official Daffodil Princesses!” says Director of Royalty Mabel Thompson, herself a member of the 2017 Royal Court, representing Spanaway Lake High School. “They walk into the event with the gown, which is shown publicly for the first time, and they walk off the stage with all the missing pieces… tiara, golden daffodil, sash, and more.”
Those accessories are chosen with a lot of consideration, to make sure they’re worthy of not only being worn by these incredible young women, but also, of suitably representing the Festival legacy wherever these burgeoning leaders may go.
Thompson felt more than prepared than ever to take on the Director role for the 2023 season, having worked tirelessly throughout the past Festival year to generate an effective and comprehensive curriculum for the Princess Practice program as Royalty Educator.
But a new year and a new title means another chance to improve, and Thompson has been taking that opportunity to heart. “This year, my team helped me continue to improve specific lessons, the Golden Buddies [alumni mentorship] program, provide opportunities for social-emotional learning, and team building. This meant that we were able to adapt the items to this specific Court for the best outcome possible!”
One of her focuses has always been equipping Royalty with the skills necessary to succeed, long beyond the time they leave the program and head off to their post-graduate plans. “Outside of specific curriculum, I do my best to give royalty skills they can use for the rest of their lives, including positive self-talk, confidence and character building, and overall, working to help them reach their fullest potential.”
Thompson is adamant that there isn’t necessarily one skill or experience that makes a great Princess: everyone on the Royal Court brings something unique to the position. “I feel that in the past, the Royalty program has tried to fit each individual candidate into a mold, which is the opposite of how I wanted to run [it] when I began helping as an alumna,” she says. “We have a very unique festival, that has a Court comprised of twenty-four members from twenty-four different slices of the county – which in turn, has twenty-four different perspectives and experiences. I wanted a program that honors that.”
That being said, what she does look for, is a can-do spirit. “I feel like Royalty that come in with an open-minded attitude, knowing they have a safe space to grow into their highest potential, are the individuals who get the most out of what I’m offering them.
“Ultimately, we’re looking for individuals who want to grow and share… one of the major themes we cover is ‘not counting out.’ Meaning that we don’t want them to shut down new ideas, or shut down if things don’t go their way, so even if they don’t come in with a comfort in the growth zone doesn’t mean they won’t leave with that ability as the season ends.”
Because Thompson knew firsthand how much effort goes into preparing twenty-four young women for their official designation as Ambassadors of Pierce County, she wanted to make sure that every single piece of their Court wardrobe was chosen for a reason. What resulted, is an ensemble that carries the significance of Festival history and tradition, wherever the Court may go.
And it all starts with a big yellow dress… shown for the first time each year, at Princess Promenade.
IT’S ALL IN THE DETAILS
“This style is non-traditional to the typical look of a Daffodil Festival Princess,” Thompson admits. “However, it is full of symbolism, and important features and characteristics that Daffodil Princesses possess.”
Upon looking at the skirt, you might notice that the dress isn’t just a solid yellow, but carries a pattern of climbing blue leaves. “The blue is a subtle allusion to the Puget Sound, for this year’s theme, ‘90 Years Around the Sound,’” she says. “While the leaf pattern is symbolic to the growth that each member of the court will go through during her reign as a Daffodil Princess.”
This growth is key to what Thompson thinks is one of the most important functions of the Royal Court’s extensive learning and leadership opportunities. However, the choice wasn’t made with solely the Princesses in mind. “Many volunteers and Daffodilians expressed that the growth they see happen is why they keep coming back to help, and I wanted to show that in the attire. A lot of energy, love, resources, and time gets put into the court every year by unpaid volunteer work – this is a way to include all of those hours and memories in a meaningful way.”
Those volunteers had a hands-on role in assembling other elements of the Princess ensemble as well: the sashes are sewn by Daffodilian Mary Ouellette, while their white capelets are created by a Co-Director of Chaperones, Carrie Swanlund. The necklaces – decorated with the golden daffodil pin Royalty wear as alumnae, dutifully worn over the heart – are assembled by Daffodilians Anitra Sudderth and Amy Meek.
No detail is too small for outfitting a Princess. “The earrings are handmade by Deb Alder, and she made them to match the 2022 Court,” Thompson explains. “The 2024 Court also has a matching set waiting for them next year!”
Another hallmark of the Daffodil Festival Princess was laden with symbolism: the glittering tiaras. “The green stones set into the tiara are an homage to the agricultural roots of the Daffodil Festival,” Thompson says. After all, the Daffodil Festival was originally formed thanks to the extensive daffodil farms that flourished in the Puyallup Valley, in the fertile soil at the base of Mt. Rainier.
While the attire might feel especially modern this year, there are elements inspired by the Daffodil Princess ensemble of years past; for instance, those same dark green stones bear a striking resemblance to the green dresses of the 1998 Royal Court.
“The white sneaker selected this year, is a flashback to the 2005 Court’s white sneakers,” Thompson adds. “The tiara is also a gold color which hasn’t been used since 2013… the tenth anniversary of that Court felt like a good time to bring it back!”
Now, the Princesses have got the gear… but it’s the growth that everyone’s excited to see next.
ONLY THE BEGINNING
Just a few years ago, Daffodilian Karah Ritter, herself, was a member of the 2021 Daffodil Royal Court representing Fife High School. Now, she assists Thompson on the Royalty Team with preparing incoming Princesses for their new roles as a member of the Royalty team.
For her, the changes to their self-esteem and ability are some of the most rewarding. “Seeing them grow to be confident with themselves makes me so proud of them.”
Ritter’s favorite event of all is the Daffodil Parade, in no small part because of the children who will be in attendance. “I’m excited for the Court to experience that pure joy when children see them as Princesses,” she says. “That feeling of inspiring kids, and being role models, is such a special feeling!”
There’s a lot that falls into the realm of the Daffodil Princess, including leading a giant float, covered in Daffodils, down the streets of four Pierce County cities – Tacoma, Puyallup, Sumner, and Orting – this April. Even now, the young women of the Royal Court are practicing speeches and reviewing interview questions, in order to prepare for the annual Queen’s Coronation happening next month: the event where a Daffodil Queen is selected from within the ranks of the Royalty, to serve as the figurehead monarch for the rest of the Daffodil season.
But first, they had to get through Promenade.
“This is the culmination of all the Daffodilians’ hard work, the Royal Court members’ hard work, the community that helped them get there, and so many more components,” Thompson said. It’s one of the reasons why this festival kick-off is such a pivotal and exciting event, every single year.
However, she knows there’s so much more to look forward to throughout the rest of the Festival season. As Director of Royalty, she’s got an eagle-eye perspective on how much this Court will continue to grow, and more than that, she’s an alumna with a bond to share… one she hopes brings these young women back to the Festival in the future.
“I am excited that they get to experience the whirlwind that is being a member of the Court. I hope they know that they are welcome to stay – even after they pass the title down – and continue to help us update and improve our festival for future generations to enjoy.”
You can see more behind the scenes footage of 2023 Princess Promenade on our Facebook page, by following this link!
The Royal Court has officially been crowned, which means embarking on another Festival season. You can see the Princesses at upcoming events like Queen’s Coronation, March 4th, at Mt. Tahoma High School, or at the Daffodil Festival Auction, hosted by the Tacoma Yacht Club on March 11th. Tickets and additional information are offered on the Daffodil Festival website.
But there’s still plenty more to come! You can stay updated on Royalty events and appearances by making sure to follow our official Daffodil social media, on Facebook and Instagram, and by signing up for our Festival newsletter.
Now that you’ve learned more about the importance of the official Daffodil Princess attire, we’d love it if you could help keep the tradition going, by donating to the “Sponsor a Princess” campaign. You can donate to purchase specific elements of the Daffodil Princess wardrobe, like their gloves, capes, sneakers, or even the golden daffodil pin they continue to wear as an alumna, once their reign is over.*
The Daffodil Festival is a nonprofit organization, run solely off of volunteer work, and your generosity goes a long way to preserving this historic Pierce County tradition for years to come. Thank you!
( *2023 Sponsor a Princess donors will be listed on our Sponsors & Partners page no later than 3/1/23. Donations received through 4/1/23 will directly fund our 2023 court regalia. )