Queens of the Tournament of Roses

Each September, some 1,000 young women (and a few young men) between the ages of 17 to 21 interview for the honor of serving as a member of the Tournament of Roses Royal Court. The Pasadena Tournament of Roses administers a selection process to determine which greater Pasadena-area young women will have the honor of being crowned Queen of the Tournament of Roses, or more commonly known as "Rose Queen." In addition to one Rose Queen, six Rose Princesses will also be selected to make up the Royal Court. To be eligible for the Royal Court, applicants must be an unmarried, female resident of the Pasadena City College district, be a senior in high school or enrolled as a full-time student in any accredited school or college in the Pasadena City College district, possess at least a 2.0 grade point average, and be at least 17 years of age by December 31 of the current year and not more than 21 years of age before January 5 of the next year.

The Royal Court will then ride on a specially-designed float in the Rose Parade, and become ambassadors of the Tournament of Roses, mainly during its duration and prelude. The Royal Court members will attend over one hundred events in the Southern California area and preside over the Rose Bowl Game. In celebration of their achievements, Royal Court members receive scholarship money, wardrobe, and other benefits. The crown, provided and exclusively created by Mikimoto, is valued at $100,000. It is adorned with 600 cultured pearls and 6 carats (1,200 mg) of diamonds.

Victoria Cecilia Castellanos (Temple City High School) was selected as the 2017 Rose Queen during the 99th Rose Queen Announcement and Coronation Ceremony on October 20, 2016. Members of the 2017 Royal Court are Maya Khan and Lauren Emiko Powers (Arcadia High School), Audrey Cameron (Blair International Baccalaureate School), Natalie Petrosian (La Canada High School), Autumn Marie Lundy (Polytechnic School) and Shannon Larsuel (Mayfield Senior School)

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