Each year, the current Royal Court meets with past queens to share stories and fellowship.

Juliana Van Gorp, the 2018 queen, joined her mother Jennifer for the first time, as they were the only mother-daughter duo to serve as queen in the 83-year history of the festival. Both tell KNIA/KRLS News it was a special six-months together.

“It’s just been incredible,” Jennifer says. “It’s been such a fun opportunity–one that nobody else has gotten to do up to this point, so I think as a mom, it has been just a gift to get to watch my own child walk through an experience that was so special and endearing to me.”

“My mom has talked about it every year, she’s like ‘Oh, Saturday morning of Tulip Time is the Past Queens Brunch, I’m headed off,’ and so it’s exciting that I get to come year and in the next years, especially with sharing the experience with my mom,” Juliana says.

Judy DeCook-Steenhoek celebrated 50 years since she served as the Tulip Queen, and tells KNIA/KRLS News she looks forward to meeting the new court each year and watching them grow throughout the experience.

“It’s neat to see that people continue to take a lot of pride in our Dutch heritage and their desire to share that with people not only in this community, but as they visit different places and different towns, with young and old alike,” Steenhoek says.

The event concluded with the final performance of the 2018 Tulip Queen and Royal Court. Hear more about the Tulip Queen’s special brunch on today’s Let’s Talk Pella.