Wearing the Crown

Jacqueline White, Rebecca Arthur and Ericka Dunlap.  What do these women have in common you say?  Jacqueline White and Rebecca Arthur have proudly represented the North Carolina Azalea Festival as the Queen Azalea in previous years and this year our Queen Azalea is Ericka Dunlap!  Celebrating Wilmington in the spring when our community is at the height of excitement with the beautiful sunshine and gardens exploding with azaleas, our community and visitors alike join together for North Carolina’s favorite Festival.

Jacqueline White is an American film actress whom currently resides in Beverly Hills, California.  Charming and warm, Jacqueline was a leading lady in many 1940’s films and was under contract for both MGM and RKO.  She was our first Queen Azalea that had the privilege of beginning the tradition in 1948.  

 In 1989 William H. Cameron, President of the 42^nd North Carolina Azalea Festival crowned Rebecca Arthur.  Rebecca is also an American film actress that starred in the TV show Perfect Strangers as Mary Anne from 1986 to 1993.  Her most current film was in 2000 when she was cast in The Watcher.  

The 65^th Queen Azalea is Ericka Dunlap.  She reigned as Miss Florida in 2003 and continued on to win the coveted title of Miss America in 2004.  Ericka is the founder of the Crown Jewel Foundation, an organization that invests in the lives of young women and encourages them to strive for excellence and overcome obstacles in achieving their goals.  We are so pleased she will be joining us this April!

The Queen Azalea is the Ambassador for the North Carolina Azalea Festival; she attends official events, visits with groups in our community and also featured in the Parade on Saturday.  Many of the fondest memories shared with the North Carolina Azalea Festival are those of our beautiful Queen Azalea.  The crown that was used for the first Queen Azalea coronation in 1948 is the same crown used today, kept in pristine condition all these years.  While many traditions change or fade over the years, it is pleasant to know that the North Carolina Azalea Festival strives to keep tradition alive with celebrating Wilmington and Southern hospitality!  We all sincerely look forward to this April when we will again welcome spring and delight in the beautiful place we call home.

Please feel free to share any pictures or memories you may have of the Queen Azaleas over the years on our Facebook page!  We certainly love to see pictures and hear stories relating to the Festival.

Also, there will be a Facebook contest later this week so make sure to “Like” the North Carolina Azalea Festival fan page, the link is above.  Good luck!