First ever Alexandra Blossom Queen says a lot has changed since first festival 65 years ago

Nicole Mathewson Reporter from Otago News

From reporter Olivia Caldwell:

Karen Peterson says there is a chance she is now the oldest living queen.

The 80-year-old was the first woman to be crowned Alexandra Blossom Queen in 1957, but says a lot has changed since the days of judging on beauty alone – and it had to.

“Put it this way, it had to move somewhere. If they carried on running it the way they were, it wouldn't be here today,” Peterson said.

“Back then all the princesses on the float had to wear a white dress. Today you can't put any old person on the float. It is just so different - I am going to notice a big difference.”

Festival organiser Martin McPherson said the Blossom Queen competition has never been a beauty pageant – or at least the benchmark to become queen has shifted in the festival’s 65-year existence.

“Having these things in the 21st century may seem a bit archaic, but it’s not like that. The young women who volunteer put their hands up, there is never any shortage of them.”

The balance between living out a tradition and moving with modern day society has to be met, he said. Judges look at the entrants through a different lens now.

Contestants are still aged between 16-25, he said, but judges look at what they do for the community, rather than their physical appearance.

“It's never been a beauty pageant in the sense of Miss New Zealand. Princesses have always tended to be either on the winning float as judged by the public, or judged by a group of judges. It's definitely not a beauty pageant.”

In 2018, Timaru’s annual Caroline Bay Carnival’s traditional beauty pageant style competitions went under review amidst dwindling numbers and calls from the public saying it was inappropriate for the time.

Dianne Elliot, princess convenor of the Alexandra Blossom Festival, said the princesses are not judged on beauty. “The judges ask them all sorts of questions. It has never been a beauty contest, you wouldn't get girls putting their names forward.”

A few years back, the festival included a fashion parade and this put many of the contestants off, she said.
“It is surprising how much community involvement [the entrants] have - sport, community, extracurricular, hobbies and whatever they like about Alexandra. They are just local girls and most of them have been involved in some way.”

McPherson said a few men had entered the competition over the years, but there are none this year.

Peterson was excited to head back to her hometown for the event this weekend. She will be joined by 21 more former Blossom Queens.

She said she won by luck because her mother was part of Plunket, and she was on the Plunket float at the time.

After being crowned she walked into a hall where men were boxing in a ring (a festival event at the time) and the boxing match was stopped as all the men came over to shake her hand.

Peterson, now retired and living in a retirement village in Christchurch, was 14 when she was crowned, and says it is a point of pride even today.

“I am the oldest queen in the world now. I’ve even got my original sash and all the bits and bobs. I have an album of all the old paper clippings, that’s my pride and joy.”