Royal reception

If you're going to live in a climate that looks like a snow globe, you might as well celebrate it.

In that spirit, the St. Paul Winter Carnival kicked off its 125th anniversary year with a Royal Coronation. With many guests in full costume, a literal cast of characters came to life as dictated by an elaborate mythology.

The story involves "King of the Winds" Boreas and his four brothers. When their archenemy, Vulcanus Rex, god of fire, threatened to melt St. Paul's winter wonderland, Boreas declared the 10 days of carnival. Each year, new people play the various roles, although many previous titleholders still wear the ensembles of their characters.

For the event at St. Paul RiverCentre, Madalyn Dosch of St. Paul was crowned 2011 Aurora, Queen of the Snows.

"I'm very honored to be part of the royal family," said Dosch, 23, a human resources coordinator at WolfNet Technologies. "I'm excited to give back to this community that has given me so much."

After her coronation, Dosch moved her white wardrobe into the palace (the St. Paul Hotel), where she's staying for the duration of the carnival.

Surrounded by so much nobility, Mayor Chris Coleman said he didn't mind sharing the city with a king and his disciples. "[St. Paul] is a town of tradition. The festival is part of the fabric of the city," he said.

It's a responsibility that Dosch said she'd be willing take up personally. "If they were to entrust me with a snowplow, I would be honored to plow the streets of St. Paul," she said. "Oh, you can do anything in a white gown."

Sara Glassman • 612-673-7177