If you live near Chelsea Park in Burien you may have brushed elbows with royalty. You might have seen her choosing vegetables at Wayne's Produce, or at the Grainery where she buys her vitamins, or you may have encountered Her Highness at Fred Meyer, like I did.

True, the year was 1948, and though some years have passed, the Queen of Chelsea Park still carries herself like royalty and if you ask nicely, she will tell you about how it happened.

Her given name is Maureen Eyers and her daddy, Charles, ran the gas station in Chelsea Park before, after and all through the war years. Back then, Charlie was also a member of the Chelsea Park Community Club and when the White Center Mardi Gras celebration planned it's annual parade, other members of the Community Club nominated Charlie's daughter, the young and vivacious 17-year-old Maureen, for a spot on the ticket.

'Chelsea Park News' columnist Marcelle von Gortler covered the story originally for this newspaper. From a collection of yellowed clippings that Queen Maureen pulled for this reporter from her archives, we learn that the Friday night before the parade, on Labor Day weekend, Charlie Eyers recruited a number of Chelsea Park kids to help with the decoration of their 'float', his 1937 Pontiac convertible, using yards and yards of crepe paper and freshly cut boughs of green shiny leaves.

Among them was Maureen, and as she labored at folding up the craft paper flowers and applying them to her father's float, she had little hope of winning the seat of queen, because along with other local girls, there was a prime contender named Barbara.

Maureen recalls the tension, "Barbara, I can't remember her last name now... she was blond, and had a good figure, I thought for sure she would win." The selection was done by vote, in Barbara's house, so Maureen felt certain that she would not be picked. "Barbara had confidence, and there weren't that many girls in Chelsea Park!" she says with a giggle.

From another Highline Times clipping dated 1948,which touts the event held at Lake Burien School: "The highlight of the evening will be the crowning of Queen Maurine Eyers. Her princesses are the Misses Barbara Niemi, Melvine Garland and Valerie Baum. Besides these royal personages, queens from the other South End Community Clubs have been invited, so it promises to be a big evening."

This era of community involvement, dances and friendly family card games seems particularly quaint to Queen Maureen,

"We had so much fun, dancing, roller skating and movies; there was always something to do" and then, with lowered expression, "It's not like that anymore."

Queen Maureen doesn't remember much about the following days of her reign as a local blueblood that year, but interestingly, she may have more royalty in her than most.

Her dad used to tell the story of how he was related to a knight named Truelove in the feudal days of olde England, who, upon being wounded in the Battle of Hastings, was knighted by William the Conqueror (later King William) for helping him off with his damaged helmet:

"Thy name is Truelove, henceforth let it be Ayer (Air) because thou hast given me the air that I breathe!"

More than this, Queen Maureen's mother, Ella, who was a full, second-generation Russian, had her roots traced back to the beautiful and impressive royal Romanovs and in her early photos, it is possible to see how this could be true.

In the photo album Queen Maureen produced for this writer, I spied a shot of particular interest, which, it turns out, allowed the queen's attractiveness to literally open doors for her.

In the soft focus 8x10 photo, the queen is in full royal garb, with high blond wig and bedecked with jewels fit for, well, a queen.

"Oh that... that was for a 'pirate movie' down in Seattle at the Music Hall. 'Scaramouche' was playing and the manager asked me if I would be willing to dress up like Marie Antoinette and work as an usherette in the lobby."

Her pretty countenance got her another job downtown, working as a Santa's helper at the Frederick and Nelson's store one year.

"I wanted to be an elevator operator, but the manager said, 'No, you have to be 18', so I took the bus there every day...if I was late, the bus driver would really step on it," she giggles, "They get to know you."

Queen Maureen's beauty did not go unnoticed at this job either.

"After a couple of days that Christmas, Santa said to me, 'I have one desire and that is to kiss you on the lips.' but I didn't let him...he was an OLD MAN...don't write that in there."

(Please accept my apologies, my queen.)

So if you happen to be strolling through the aisles of Fred Meyer and see a statuesque brunette with a crown-winning smile, you don't need to bow or curtsy.

If you would like to get to know her, just say hello. The queen may have royal blood, but she still loves the subjects of Chelsea Park as her own.