Pageant News Bureau - Miss American Queen

Courtney Bell is following in her own footsteps, and she had a tough act to follow.

In 2003, she was Miss Teen South Carolina American Queen and went on to become Miss Teen American Queen. In 2005, she accomplished the same feat at the Miss level. She was Miss South Carolina American Queen and then won the national title to become Miss American Queen.

The phrase "American Queen" puts one in mind of a romantic Southern riverboat ride, where beautiful ladies in hoop skirts fan themselves and flirt with handsome gamblers. And Ms. Bell is very Southern herself.

She comes from one of the most storied corners of Dixie. Born in Savannah, Ga., she was raised on the nearby South Carolina island of Hilton Head, and now lives in Charleston. The region is bustling, but it is still steeped in history, and the laid-back lifestyles of earlier times are not quite forgotten.

Ms. Bell is very much a modern Southern woman, with an international orientation. She speaks Spanish as well as English, and is planning to acquire a third language as she studies in Italy next year. She was worked with Habitat for Humanity in Haiti

Courtney Bell with her mother, Cindy

Even her name has its own Southern story. She was born Jessica Courtney Bell and called "Jessica." But the resulting nickname "Jessie-Bell" reminded her mom of "Jezebel," a wicked biblical queen whose name is a synonym for "hussy" in some traditional Southern circles. So now she's called "Courtney."

Her mother, by the way, is a beautiful woman named Cindy. A dynasty of beauty. What could be more Southern? Two belles. Two Bells.