New WA Apple Blossom Royal Court Visit KPQ Studios

The 105th Washington State Apple Blossom Festival Royal Court was coronated on Saturday night in Wenatchee so the buzz of excitement is still fresh with Queen Ella Stimmel, and Princesses Lexie Fennell and Jenissa Hepton

The trio stopped by the KPQ studios on Tuesday for an interview on the Agenda program, but this time their moods were more relaxed than their last visit less than 2 weeks prior as Top Ten candidates.

They wore brand new crowns that Apple Blossom has purchased to replace the crowns previously worn by past Royalty.

I learned the new crowns are actually a little too impressive in that they stand so tall on the girl's heads,  they force them to hunch over in the Apple Blossom SUV and will be replaced with a slightly shorter version.

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Queen Ella Stimmel says everything is still sinking in and the Royal duties have already started.  "So the very next day we got to have brunch with last year's royalty and it was so so amazing. They are so ridiculously kind and sweet and they gave us so much advice and told us their stories.  It's just been so surreal and there are moments where it just doesn't feel real and I think I'm dreaming,  that I'm not actually queen and then I remember oh my goodness, I am!"

I asked Queen Stimmel about how her selection as Queen will help shape a relationship with Jenissa and Lexie as it has for past royalty.  "I cannot express how excited I am to get to spend my summer and spend time with these amazing amazing girls. I I definitely I made friends in top 24  and the top 10.   But I already feel so connected to these girls. We actually just got matching bracelets today. So that's really exciting knowing that I'm going to spend so much time with these girls and for every second of it."

Princess Jenissa Hepton recounted the emotions of addressing the audience moments after hearing her name called as a selection to the Royal Court  "I  just in case had sort of practiced something I was gonna say but when it actually happened,  that definitely all went out the window and I just kind of said whatever came to mind, and it was just a pretty emotional, moment."

Hepton says she wants to use the platform she has been given as a member of the Apple Blossom Royal Court "to make sure that the people who interact with us and meet us just know how amazing Wenatchee is.   I hope that we're able to advocate and show that to not only our community, but just every community that we get to be blessed enough to be a part of."

Lexie Fennell thanked a number of individuals by their first name after she was introduced to the audience as Princess.  Fennell explained who they were "Jan and CeCe the first women that I talked about our were our top 10 chaperones and now our royalty chaperones. So they helped us a lot in the past month and they were with us every step of the way. And then Deb and Jesse were the Eastmont High School advisors so they helped us in the process to get to top 24 And I would not be where I am without both of them. And then Darcy is obviously the festival administrator for Apple Blossom and I just think she puts in so much work for this festival that she deserves some recognition."

The Royal Court begins a busy schedule of appearances including a visit to the State Capitol to invite lawmakers to Wenatchee for the 105th Washington State Apple Blossom Festival April 25th through May 5th.

Princess Fennell said the girls are also looking forward to the fitting session and their first glimpse of their official gowns they will wear on the Apple Blossom Float at parades and festivals including the Stemilt Apple Blossom Grand Parade on May 4th in Wenatchee.

Find more information on the Washington State Apple Blossom Festival here