BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – THE newly-crowned Miss Carival and reigning National Carnival Queen, Iantavian Queeley, was royally greeted at the airport upon her return to the Federation after capturing the crown last Friday evening (July 1) in St. Vincent.
She was met by the Minister of Culture, Hon. Marcella Liburd; representatives from National Bank, her sponsor; members of the Carnival Committee and Pageant Sub-Committee; family members; and friends.
Queeley’s win was significant as it had been 12 years since St. Kitts and Nevis had captured the title.
At a brief ceremony held at the Robert L. Bradshaw International Airport, Queeley shared her experience at the pageant with the gathering.
Queeley said that she had an excellent experience in St. Vincent.
“I enjoyed bonding with the girls and bridging the gap between the islands. I worked very hard and it’s always a privilege to be an ambassador for the Federation,” she said.
She received congratulatory speeches from the National Carnival Queen Pageant Chairperson and former National Carnival Queen, Nicole Gumbs, and National Bank’s Marketing Director Patricia Wilkinson.
Wilkinson said that Queeley’s performance was near perfect and they were proud of her for “bringing home that beautiful crown”.
The Minister of Culture said that the support of Queeley’s parents and the committee also helped her to become victorious in the pageant.
Minister described her win as a teamwork effort and said she remained friends with her fellow National Carnival Queen contestants.
“The contestants all stayed together, which is very rare in pageantry. There is a special bond between the girls and we are so happy with Iantavian’s win. She did a fantastic job and I must also commend her chaperone, Miss Martin, who worked with her overtime,” Minister Liburd said.
Her mother Paula Lewis and father Ian Queeley said they were very proud of their daughter.
“I want to acknowledge the support from the ministry and government. When I spoke to her Friday evening, she said she was on her way to the event. I asked her if she assessed the competition and she said yes. I told her, ‘No pain no gain’; so she really has to go hard,” her father said.
Queeley said he was watching the show online and when the judges were tabulating he called and asked her how she felt, to which she said “confident”.
“I love her and I’m proud of her and I’m thankful to the public for their support,” her mother said.
Martin, Queeley’s chaperone who owns Glittering Reign Pageant Coaching and Consulting and had worked with her at the National Carnival Queen Pageant, said that working with Queeley is great and that they had put in lots of hard work.
“Not only did we practice but we also strategised. I did research on her fellow contestants to see what they were about, and that’s how we determined to go about in the competition.
“We did our best to get videos of past pageants to look at her competition’s previous performance in pageants. Once you know your competitors you’ll know how to defeat them, and I think that’s one of the premier reasons why she is now Miss Carival today,” Martin said.
Sharon Rattan, Acting Permanent Secretary within the Ministry of Community Development, Culture and Gender Affairs, chaired the ceremony and informed the attendees that following Queeley’s performance at Miss Carival she would be travelling to Taiwan, which is celebrating their centennial year, to participate in a youth programme.
Queeley is scheduled to compete in the Miss Caribbean Jaycees Pageant that will be held in Antigua on Friday, July 29.
At Miss Carival, Queeley walked away with the awards for Best Swimsuit, Best Talent, Best Evening Wear and Miss Photogenic.
