King Michael VIII and Queen Nancy VIII
2018
Behind the Crown
While growing up in Gadsden, Alabama, the only Mardi Gras I ever knew about was the “other” one. That, of course, was the Mardi Gras celebration in New Orleans. Each year, my high school band marched in the Krewe of Rex parade in New Orleans. I was so excited to be part of that parade during my high school years, and the fun and frivolity was not lost on me. I can still remember the smells, the beautiful floats, and the crowd calling for beads; I was hooked on the excitement!
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Just over three decades ago, I moved to the Eastern Shore and made a great discovery – Mardi Gras was born in Mobile, Alabama. I found that I could easily relive my first memories of Mardi Gras and made new memories with a Mardi Gras celebration that is for people of all ages. Mardi Gras is definitely my favorite time of the year, and I am so fortunate to live in the birthplace of revelry!
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However, Mardi Gras would not be complete without the mystic organizations, especially Krewe of Phoenix. I am so proud to be a member of KOP and honored to have been chosen as the Queen this past year. Serving as Queen for KOP is important to me because this organization is always willing to give back to the community and help those in need. That is an important value in my life, and I wanted to be part of an organization that shared those values. And last but not least - the friends I have made in KOP are friendships that I will hold dear for the rest of my life. Mardi Gras is just not the same unless you share it with people you love, and I enjoy celebrating each year with my fellow KOP members.
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I enjoyed celebrating with everyone at our fabulous KOP Ball on January 20, 2018! My reign has been filled with everything I hoped it would be – laughter, good friends, and plenty of revelry!
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Laissez les bons temps rouler!
Queen Nancy VIII
Queen Nancy and her Court
Monarch Reception
The Queen's Train
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The Queen’s train is an original masterpiece designed and created by Jasyn Fowler. Queen Nancy has personal touches throughout the train that signify important aspects and passions in her life.
The cardinal represents lost loved ones in Queen Nancy’s life. Cardinals are thought to appear during times of celebration and during tough moments to provide loved ones with peace knowing those they lost are near them always.
The whimsical nature of Queen Nancy is evident in her love of the daisy and the dragonfly. The delicate nature of both while emanating brilliance in color has long attracted Queen Nancy to these two gems found in the wild.
Key West’s motto of “One Human Family” is displayed to remind us that “All People are Equal Members of Our One Human Family.”
A native of Alabama, Queen Nancy and her partner, Maria, have a strong love of football. They cheer loudly each week during college football season for their beloved Crimson Tide. The script A found on the train represents not only a football team, but a fondness for the excitement found during those crisp fall Saturday afternoons when yelling “Roll Tide Roll” at kickoff.
Family is a strong element in Queen Nancy’s life, thus applicable symbols figure prominently throughout the train’s design. The birthstones of Peridot and Crystal represents her brothers, Chris and Tim; the birthstone of Ruby represents sister Carol; and the birthstone of Emerald represents herself.
Autism awareness is a personal cause for Queen Nancy due to a young family member who is on the autism spectrum. She has tremendous respect for his focus on working diligently to achieve his goals. As a result of this family connection, autism awareness is represented with the puzzle pieces, which reflects the complexity of the autism spectrum.
One particular lost loved one is Queen Nancy’s brother, Chris, who was an amazing photographer and writer. He lost his fight to AIDS in 1990, and the red ribbon signifies the strength he portrayed during his short life.
New life is also honored in Queen Nancy’s train with the princess crown for her daughter who has long been the one wearing a crown in their household. Queen Nancy’s son-in-law is symbolized by his love of music with the guitar. The love Kaitlin and Drake share has now grown into the upcoming birth of their first child this coming spring. The pink rattle represents Queen Nancy’s granddaughter.
At the heart of the train is Queen Nancy’s motto: Believe. She has always had this as a personal creed to encourage herself during dark times and appreciate the light of goodness and success she has found through hard work, dedication to family, and love of her community.
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