A royal reading at NOLS

By Matthew Nash • July 9, 2025 3:30 am
Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash Sequim Irrigation Festival royalty, from left, Prince Malachi Byrne, Queen Lily Tjemsland, and Princess Joanna Morales read the book “Princess Unlimited” to a crowd of young readers on July 1 at Storytime with the Royal Court at the Sequim Library Temporary Location.
Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash Sequim Irrigation Festival royalty, from left, Prince Malachi Byrne, Queen Lily Tjemsland, and Princess Joanna Morales read the book “Princess Unlimited” to a crowd of young readers on July 1 at Storytime with the Royal Court at the Sequim Library Temporary Location.

Anticipation was high for Storytime with the Royal Court at the Sequim Library Temporary Location on July 1 with babies, toddlers, preschoolers and elementary students wearing their royal and medieval garb for the annual event with the Sequim Irrigation Festival’s royalty.

Queen Lily Tjemsland, Princess Joanna Morales and Prince Malachi Byrne read the book “Princess Unlimited” together. Princess Roxy Woods was unable to attend.

They and Charlotte McGrew, the Sequim branch’s youth services librarian, also sang a few songs.

The tradition has been going, with a break for COVID-19, since 2015 following festival queen Megan O’Mera’s platform.

Summer Family Storytime continues at 9:30 a.m. Tuesdays through July 29 at the Sequim Library’s temporary location, 609 W. Washington St., unit 21. A Nature Storytime is set for 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 5 and Toddler Games at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 12. Both will be at the Dungeness River Nature Center, 1943 W. Hendrickson Road in Sequim.

For more information, visit nols.org.

The royalty were scheduled to be in Port Angeles’ Fourth of July parade, and then the McCleary Bear Festival on July 12 and the Seafair Torchlight Parade on July 26. They’ll also attend the ribbon cutting for the Sequim Lavender Festival in Carrie Blake Community Park on July 18.

For more about the Sequim Irrigation Festival, visit irrigationfestival.com.

Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash/ Three-year-old Aubrey Roberts and her grandmother, Beth Hancock of Sequim, admire the dresses of Sequim Irrigation Festival’s Queen Lily Tjemsland and Princess Joanna Morales on July 1 during Storytime with the Royal Court.

Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash/ Three-year-old Aubrey Roberts and her grandmother, Beth Hancock of Sequim, admire the dresses of Sequim Irrigation Festival’s Queen Lily Tjemsland and Princess Joanna Morales on July 1 during Storytime with the Royal Court.

Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash/ James Lynn, 3, dressed as a dragon, talks with Sequim Irrigation Festival Prince Malachi Byrne about dragons after Storytime with the Royal Court. James’ father Pat said it was his family’s first time at Storytime with the North Olympic Library System and he’s known Malachi since he was a little boy.

Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash/ James Lynn, 3, dressed as a dragon, talks with Sequim Irrigation Festival Prince Malachi Byrne about dragons after Storytime with the Royal Court. James’ father Pat said it was his family’s first time at Storytime with the North Olympic Library System and he’s known Malachi since he was a little boy.

Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash/ Sequim Irrigation Festival royalty, North Olympic Library staff and attendees of the Storytime with the Royal Court enjoy a song and dance together.

Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash/ Sequim Irrigation Festival royalty, North Olympic Library staff and attendees of the Storytime with the Royal Court enjoy a song and dance together.