Henrico resident crowned 'All American Royal Queen' at national pageant

, and Tom Lappas, Citizen Publisher , and Citizen Staff Reports

January 30, 2026 . 11:20 AM

2 min read

Henrico resident Brenda Hertsch was named All American Royal Queen at the All American and Mrs. All American Pageant recently. (Contributed photo)

Henrico County resident Brenda Hertsch was crowned All American Royal Queen at the All American and Mrs. All American Pageant, held recently in Ocean City, Maryland. 

The Royal Queen title represents the highest distinction of the entire pageant, awarded to the overall high-point winner among all contestants nationwide. Hertsch’s win placed her at the top of a competitive field that recognizes not only stage presence and interview skills but also community involvement, leadership, and service. 

In addition to the Royal Queen title, Hertsch represented Henrico throughout the competition while highlighting her personal platform, skin cancer awareness. Through advocacy and education, she works to bring attention to prevention, early detection, and the importance of routine skin checks, a cause she plans to continue promoting during her year of service. 

Hertsch is married to her husband, Ray, and together they are actively involved in a variety of community service projects throughout Henrico. Their commitment to giving back has been a cornerstone of Hertsch’s pageant journey and public service efforts. 

A significant part of Hertsch’s ongoing work includes collecting donations for Operation We Care, the national platform of the All American Pageant system.

Founded in 2007 by Jeff and Diana Merritt, Operation We Care is a volunteer-driven nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting active-duty military members, veterans, and first responders.  OWC is based in Salisbury, Maryland, where Jeff and Diana Merritt also own Minuteman Press.

With the help of many volunteers, Operation We Care packs and sends more than 2,000 care packages each year to deployed U.S. troops. Beyond care packages, the organization supports military members and veterans through appreciation events, outreach programs, and various assistance initiatives.  Operation We Care also extends its mission to the local community by making donations to law enforcement agencies, fire departments, and other organizations in support of appreciation and service-based causes. 

As All American Royal Queen, Hertsch will continue representing the pageant system while expanding her advocacy for skin cancer awareness and supporting Operation We Care on a national level.

She is hopeful that her role will inspire others in Henrico County and beyond to get involved in community service and support those who serve.