Raspberry Royalty Share Their Advice for This Year’s Candidates

On Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, a whole new crop of Raspberry Royalty candidates will vie to represent Hopkins.

With the coronations imminent, Hopkins Patch talked with four members of this year’s royal family about their time representing Hopkins and what tips they have for aspiring candidates.

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Senior Ambassador Trudy Reinitz

• Best moment: When people see her on the street and recognize her. She particularly enjoys the smiles of the little kids. “There’s just something about Hopkins that’s so wonderful.”
• Biggest surprise: “I think I became more outgoing than I was as a candidate.”
• Advice for future royalty: “Enjoy every single moment. It’s wonderful.”

Queen Karissa Mathiason

• Best moment: Getting to know other people from other cities so well. The members of Hopkins’ royal family even hung out with those from other communities outside festival events—as when Raspberry Royalty enjoyed karaoke with Northfield’s Defeat of Jesse James Days Royalty.
• Biggest surprise: “(I didn’t expect) eventually I would be comfortable with public speaking.”
• Advice for future royalty: “Whether or not you feel like it, wear nylons.” Pragmatic advice because royalty get sweaty during hot events—and Mathiason said queens and princesses can trip when skirts or dresses stick to sweaty skin.

Princess Lizzie Wallner

• Best moment: Having the little kids come up with their parents to take pictures of her. “They’re just really into the princess thing.” Her little sister was one of those who looked up to her—at one point asking if Wallner’s selection as a princess meant she’d get to live in a castle.
• Biggest surprise: How easy it was to make friends in other communities and how much she got to travel around the state.
• Advice for future royalty: “Have fun and be yourself."

Princess Taylor Jensen

• Best moment: “It was all so fun. We had so many events.” But the best was the Willmar festival, where the Hopkins royal family members were “visiting dignitaries.” They also did a flash mob at the festival’s GB Leighton concert.
• Biggest surprise: There’s a lot more royalty programs than she previously thought.
• Advice for future royalty: “Be outgoing and be yourself. Just have fun at every moment. Learn a new skill.”

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