Anastasia is Nice’s 2010 Carnival Queen!

New Carnvial Queen, Anastasia, centre, poses with mayor Christian Estrosi and runners up Laurianne, right, and Marine, left.

In the end the bookmakers favourite, Anastasia, was the clear winner, receiving 20 per cent of the public vote. For the next year Anastasia will act as the global ambassador for the Nice carnival. “I'm so proud,” she said after the announcement was made. And she has good reason to be: out of 11,400 people who voted for the queen online, 2,250 votes went to her. In addition to her royal status the schoolgirl has also won a contract with a modeling agency.

The theme of the carnival this year is La Planète Bleue, with a focus on the natural history of our planet and the environment. In keeping with the theme's spirit, carbon dioxide emission is to be stringently avoided. Of course, the floats require petrol to function, however there is this year, for the first time, a CO2 compensation plan. There are also efforts to use recycled paper for press passes and environmentally degradable paper for the programmes.

One of the Queen’s roles over the next three weeks is to officially represent the environmental theme.

For the carnival opening this Friday, 12th of February, the Queen will be wearing a white dress, reminiscent of a bride. Then, over the rest of the carnival period, she will be seen in an ever-changing wardrobe. Both the Queen’s clothes and other carnival character’s costumes will honor the late designer Fabienne d'Alexandry, who died only a few weeks ago. The fashion icon was famous in Nice for her theatrical carnival outfits, which she was producing for many years. Many of this year’s most elaborate characters will be in her final creations. "In their designs, nature is alive. You will be able to feel that the artist is still everywhere, "said Mayor Christian Estrosi, who has dedicated this year’s carnival to d'Alexandry.

HM