(LEX 18) — Elizabeth King from Georgetown was crowned the 2025 Kentucky Derby Festival Queen during the 67th annual Fillies Derby Ball.
A release says that King is a senior "Presidential Scholar at the University of Kentucky pursuing dual degrees in Finance and Flute Performance. She is a Gatton College of Business Ambassador, UK Homecoming Queen, Principal Flutist for the UK Wind Symphony, and Preliminary Talent Winner at Miss Kentucky. As Miss Danville, Elizabeth partners with Junior Achievement of the Bluegrass to promote the service initiative she founded, Mind Your Money – Investing in Financial Literacy, bringing financial education to Kentucky’s classrooms."
King said, following her crowning, "“I am feeling just in shock still. I don’t think it’s truly, truly set in.” She added, “I am really grateful and excited for the Derby season ahead.”
The release states, "Chosen each year as ambassadors for the Kentucky Derby Festival, the Royal Court is made up of outstanding young women from around the state." They were selected from a pool of 100 applicants. The Queen and the Court will reign through 2025 and attend nearly all events at the Festival.
The Criteria to be chosen for the honor include "knowledge of the Derby Festival, poise, intelligence, personality and campus/community involvement," In addition, each woman will receive two $1,000 scholarships, one from Fillies, Inc., and another from the Kentucky Derby Festival Foundation.
Members of the court will include Lilly Deljoo {Dell-joo} from Louisville, a second-year medical student attending the University of Louisville School of Medicine, Madeline (Maddie) Duff from Prestonsburg, a senior attending the University of Kentucky pursuing Neuroscience and Appalachian studies, Erica McPheeters {Mc-Feeters} also from Louisville, a senior John Henry Scholar attending Kentucky State University majoring in political science, and Hannah Rager {Ray-Gur} from Bremen a sophomore attending the University of Louisville pursuing a double major in marketing and sports administration with a certificate in sales, the releases says.
