The Krewe of Rex parade first rolled in 1872.
Rex was organized in New Orleans by local businessmen during the 1872 Carnival season. Its first parade was designed partly to honor Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovich of Russia, who was visiting the city, and partly to attract tourism and business after the American Civil War.
The organization’s name comes from the Latin word for “king,” and Rex still holds the ceremonial title “King of Carnival.” Its inaugural parade was themed “Triumphal Entry,” establishing the grand daytime spectacle that became one of New Orleans’ defining Mardi Gras traditions.
The year 1872 is sometimes confused with 1874, when Rex staged a major river arrival that helped develop the later Lundi Gras tradition. It is also distinct from the Mistick Krewe of Comus, founded in 1857 and generally regarded as New Orleans’ first modern Carnival krewe. Rex’s official song, “If Ever I Cease to Love,” was adopted during its founding era.