Mayoral teens Dante and Chiara de Blasio will be King and Queen at the Coney Island Mermaid Parade.
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The first kids are also royalty — at least for a day.
Mayor Bill de Blasio’s children, Dante and Chiara, were crowned King Neptune and Queen Mermaid of the 32nd Annual Coney Island Mermaid Parade on June 21.
Surrounded by scantily clad revelers, the mayoral teens will be wheeled through the parade’s route on antique wicker Boardwalk Rolling Chair that dates back to 1923.
“We are extraordinarily honored to have the participation of New York City’s first family in the parade,” Coney Island USA founder Dick Zigun said in a statement.
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“King Neptune and Queen Mermaid represent the young adults of New York City who are the next generation of visitors to Coney Island and Coney Island USA,” added Zigun, also known as the Mayor of Coney Island.
The seaside ritual is a celebration of ancient mythology and the largest art parade in the nation. Marching bands, drill teams, floats and antique cars are part of the festivities, along with some 1,500 participants dressed as mermaids, amusement rides and Neptunes.
Founded in 1983, the Mermaid Parade pays tribute to Coney Island’s Mardi Gras, which ran from 1903 to 1954. The parade was also established to give artistic New Yorkers an outlet for self-expression.
Past Mermaid Parade Royalty:
Talking Heads frontman David Byrne, 1998
Actress Queen Latifah, 1999
Artist and DJ Moby, 2004
Actor Harvey Keitel, 2009
Musician Lou Reed, 2010
Actress Annabella Sciorra, 2012
Comedian Judah Friedlander, 2013
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