Tournament of Roses Will Not Select Queen, Royal Court This Year

The Tournament of Roses will not select a royal court this year, according to a statement released on Monday. 

“The Rose Queen and Royal Court are iconic traditions, steeped in the Pasadena Tournament of Roses’ history,” the statement reads. “After thoughtful consideration, and due to the cancelation of the 2021 Rose Parade, this year’s selection process for the Royal Court has been postponed and will resume in the fall of 2021. We look forward to continuing the treasured legacy and celebrating the 2022 Royal Court.”

The tournament also announced an eligibility extension for those who would have been eligible for the 2021 Royal Court.

Typically, the Royal Court attends nearly 100 community and media events, serving as ambassadors of the Tournament of Roses, the Pasadena community, and the greater Los Angeles area. 

On Jan. 1, unless that date falls on a Sunday, the court rides on the Royal Court float in the Rose Parade and attends the Rose Bowl Game, both on New Year’s Day.

In July, the tournament announced the cancellation of the Rose Parade for the first time since World War II, but no announcement was made regarding the Royal Court.

The event was canceled to help combat the spread of the Coronavirus. 

The parade was canceled in 1942 after the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941 and was also canceled in 1943 and 1945.

This is not the first time a Royal Court will not be selected. In 1912, 1915-1922, 1924, 1927 and 1929 no Royal Court was selected.

The decision not to choose a Royal Court could make this this year the first time since 1905 that Pasadena will go without any of its traditional New Year’s festivals.

The chances of a Rose Bowl Game were reduced after several conferences canceled their season. Since then college football has announced they will play, but so far no decision has been officially made on the Rose Bowl football game.