About the OORG

From King’s Guard to the Order

After successfully completing their year and upholding the traditions and responsibilities of their role, Guards may be accepted into the Order of the Royal Guard. Membership offers a way to stay involved, support the organization, and help prepare future King’s Guards.

The Order selects a Captain from among its members, who then interviews and appoints the incoming Guards. This passes along the knowledge and experience of those who served before them.

Through the Order, alumni also continue supporting the Saint Paul Winter Carnival by volunteering and participating in events. Parades, gatherings, and shared traditions keep members connected to Carnival and one another.

Our Roots in Winter Carnival

In the 1880s, St. Paul, Minnesota, was among the fastest-growing cities in the country, attracting several newspaper correspondents to visit in 1885. Their reports upon returning home were less than flattering, describing St. Paul as “another Siberia and unfit for habitation in the winter.”

Local business leaders, including James J. Hill, were unfazed. They wanted to show the world that Minnesotans did more than survive winter: they thrived in it. The result was the first Saint Paul Winter Carnival in 1886, with a spectacular ice palace as its centerpiece.

That tradition continues today, making the Saint Paul Winter Carnival the largest and oldest winter festival in the nation.

The Royal Family and the Guard

The modern festival centers on the legend of King Boreas Rex, the mighty monarch of ice and snow. He rules over the icy realm of St. Paul alongside Aurora, Queen of the Snows, his four brothers and their princesses, his Prime Minister, and Klondike Kate.

Since its founding in 1916, the King’s Guard has accompanied the Royal Family throughout their travels, protecting them and the realm from Vulcanus Rex and his crew.

From College Guards to Volunteers

While the King’s Guard tradition began in 1916, the Order of the Royal Guard came into its own following World War II.

From 1950 through 1958, during what became known as the “educational era,” Guards were selected from three local colleges: Hamline, Macalester, and St. Thomas. From 1950 through 1952, they were selected exclusively from St. Thomas.

The current volunteer format was established in 1959 and remains in place today. The Order celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2019, continuing its role in preserving the Guard’s history and preparing new teams to carry the tradition forward.