St. Lucia’s Emerle Tisson Crowned 2026 St. Maarten Carnival Caribbean Queen

All hail Miss St. Lucia (center) Emerle Tisson, the new St. Maarten Carnival Caribbean Queen. Also congrats to Miss St. Eustatius Kentonea Fortin (left) for winning first runner-up and Miss St. Maarten Keisy Quant for winning second runner-up.

GREAT BAY, St. Maarten--St. Lucia’s Emerle Tisson delivered a strong and consistent performance on Wednesday night to capture the title of 2026 St. Maarten Carnival Caribbean Queen, winning over the audience and judges at Carnival Village.

Competing against eight other contestants from across the region, Tisson stood out throughout the pageant and secured the crown after a competitive night of judging. Her victory came after solid performances in all major segments of the competition.

Miss St. Eustatius, Kentonea Fortin, was named first runner-up, while Miss St. Maarten, Keisy Quant,won second runner-up honors. The margin between first and second place was just five points, reflecting how close the competition was.

In addition to winning the crown, Tisson also captured the titles for Best Evening Wear and Best National Wear. Best Talent went to Miss Barbados, Simone Williams; Best Swimsuit was won by Miss St. Maarten; and Best Answer to the Identical Question was awarded to Miss St. Eustatius.

This year’s pageant was held under the theme “Queens of Sun and Soil.” The top five contestants were asked to respond to the question: “The theme of this pageant is ‘Queens of Sun and Soil.’ In a region as diverse as the Caribbean, how can young women help protect our cultural roots while also bringing a diverse people together?”

While Tisson did not win every category, her overall performance and repeated top placements across the competition gave her the edge needed to claim the regional title. Queen Emerle is also the National Queen of St. Lucia.

The St. Maarten Carnival Development Foundation (SCDF) said it was pleased with both the performance of the contestants and the support shown by the public at Carnival Village.

“This is only our second Caribbean pageant under our umbrella, and we aim to continue nurturing and growing this event through the cooperation of our Caribbean neighbors,” SCDF said. “We congratulate all of the contestants for representing their countries with pride and dignity. We also look forward to the reign of our new queen with excitement and anticipation.”

The Caribbean Queen Pageant remains one of the key regional events of the St. Maarten Carnival season, bringing together culture, poise, intelligence, and Caribbean pride on one stage.

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