Carnival Presents the Once and Current Queen

A lifetime working, raising a family, giving to her community and serving her church, has not dimmed Carmen Sibilly’s memories of the pageantry 70 years ago when she reigned as queen over the U.S. Virgin Islands Carnival on St. Thomas.

As part of the anniversary observance, she will wear the crown again next week for the festival which has been St. Thomas’ signature annual event ever since 1952.

Back then she was Carmen Nicholson, a head-turning 19-year-old girl who had graduated from Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic High School a year before and was living at home and working downtown at the Bolero Store. Like much of the island’s population, she was also a regular radio listener, and Ron de Lugo’s morning show was a favorite.

De Lugo, the territory’s first delegate to Congress, is being honored posthumously this year for his role in helping to establish both Carnival on St. Thomas and the similar Crucian Christmas Festival on St. Croix, also in 1952. The St. John Festival centered around July 4 began in 1960.

There had been a few one-day celebrations in the early years of the 20th century, before the U.S. purchased the islands from Denmark. What was being proposed at mid-century was a carnival to run several days and to bring the entire community together.

The idea began to catch fire. Local businesses were sponsoring contestants to run for king and queen of Carnival. Bands were lining up to take part in a parade. Stores were offering items for decorating and dressing up. Eventually Carnival was scheduled for Labor Day weekend, running from Sunday, Aug. 31 to Tuesday, Sept. 2.

It was probably in June or July that she received a call from a prominent island matron, Gertrude Lockhart Dudley (later Melchior) as Sibilly remembers. The family business, Lockhart Department Store, had decided to sponsor a troupe for the parade and they wanted a couple to compete for the royal title. Would Carmen be their queen contestant? And did she have a boyfriend or just a friend who could run for king?