A 146-year-old secret society in St. Louis claimed earlier this year that it removed its central figurehead, the “Veiled Prophet,” as part of efforts to move on from a troubled past of associations with racism and exclusion.
However, video and photos obtained by St. Louis Public Radio from the VP St. Louis Ball on Saturday showed that a “Grand Oracle” has taken the place of the Veiled Prophet. The group’s choice of replacement appears to be nearly identical in all but name and facial covering, with the veil swapped for a glittering mask and long beard. Like the Veiled Prophet, the Grand Oracle wore a golden tunic, crown and white gloves and carried a tall scepter.
Also unchanged are references to “his mysterious majesty” and a backstory involving a fictional kingdom of origin — only now Khorasan has been replaced with Lemuria.
Before the Grand Oracle’s entrance, an announcer introduced him: “Since 1878, his mysterious majesty, the Grand Oracle, or GO, has traveled from a land far, far away.”
The introduction went on to describe the Grand Oracle gathering “wise men from all the cultures of the world” to make St. Louis “a beacon of enlightenment for national prominence, making his beloved city of St. Louis a better place to live for all.”
The fairy-tale-like story concluded, “Once a year, he uses the Mississippi River portal to return to St. Louis to the best ideas from his travels to fulfill the Prophet’s mission before he presides over them all, and crowns a queen of love and beauty.”
Beyond the new name and references, little appears to have changed about the proceeding from previous iterations. As at previous balls, dozens of debutantes, known as Maids of Honor, were each called to a stage framed with flowing purple curtains and a large “VP” logo. Once presented, they bowed to the robed figure.
What is the Veiled Prophet?
Before its rebrand as VP St. Louis, the Veiled Prophet Society was founded in 1878 as an anonymous, men’s-only club for the city’s high society. More than 140 years later, the membership of the fraternity remains shrouded in a haze of archaic titles and deliberate secrecy.
According to VP St. Louis, that figure was dismissed without fanfare in 2023. It wasn’t until an inquiry from St. Louis Public Radio, seeking comment about the removal of the Veiled Prophet figure from the annual July Fourth parade, that a spokesperson confirmed that another change had been made: “The figure is no longer part of VP St. Louis.”
The group has not disclosed its reasoning for the change, or why it continues to use “VP” in its own name and programs. On its website, the group says that it has “turned the page from the past” and “fully disavows and unequivocally condemns racism in any form and disavows any racist past associated with the organization or its origins.”
In a September interview with St. Louis on the Air, VP St. Louis Chief Operating Officer Michael Ruwitch said, “VP is just letters” and “doesn't really represent anything.”
Enter the ‘Grand Oracle’
“Grand Oracle” is not a new term. It can be found in newspaper accounts of the very first Veiled Prophet Parade in 1878, an event that would later undergo rebranding, and a calendar shift, to the July Fourth America’s Birthday Parade.
The name is already a part of the annual debutante ball: Before the ceremony, the debutantes meet for the “G.O.’s Party,” described by Town and Style in 2017 as “a private gathering before the maids are presented to His Mysterious Majesty the Veiled Prophet.”
The acronym also appears in a 2012 DVD given to attendees of that year’s ball, which includes a video titled “History and G.O.'s Introduction to the 2011 Veiled Prophet Ball."
The video captured a similarly florid introduction for the ball’s main event, with a narrator describing “a wise benevolent Persian monarch began traveling the world in search of a suitable community to share his goodwill.”
In a statement Sunday, VP St. Louis described the Grand Oracle as the group’s “volunteer leader” and a symbol of “we, not I.”
The statement continued: “As we’ve stated previously, the Veiled Prophet figure is no longer part of VP St. Louis. The veils are no more, and the organization has evolved to embrace changes that reflect its commitment to inclusivity and progress. While some ceremonial traditions remain, they are distinct in purpose and representation from the past.”
The tradition of Bengal Lancers
Along with the debut of the Grand Oracle, photos and video from Saturday’s ball documented the continued presence of the Bengal Lancers. This costumed group of VP St. Louis members – the majority wearing fake bushy beards and mustaches — play the role of the monarch’s royal guard and comic relief onstage. For years, the group has also appeared on horseback at the city’s annual Fourth of July parade.
The Bengal Lancer costume mimics a British colonial military uniform. However, attaining the look of these Persian soldiers includes more than just costume accessories. Photos from Saturday’s ball appear to show multiple members wearing makeup on their face and neck that darken their skin.
In August, a spokesperson for VP St. Louis directed questions about the Bengal Lancers to Celebrate St. Louis, the sponsor organization for America’s Birthday Parade. “Celebrate St. Louis can speak for themselves, but from VP St. Louis’ perspective, they’re just guys who enjoy riding horses in the parade.”
When reached for comment, Vice Chair Jessica Fox provided a statement that the Celebrate St. Louis “was proud to hold a day of engaging free-to-attend events in Downtown.” The statement did not address the Bengal Lancers or Veiled Prophet.
A change in name only?
A modification to the mystical name and arcane ritual of a debutante ball is only one example of the tensions currently facing VP St. Louis.
Along with the ball, the group produces an annual parade. In the decades after its founding in the 1870s, the Veiled Prophet parade was held in winter. Along with its floats, it featured the Veiled Prophet himself and his maids of honor.
But by the 1960s, the Veiled Prophet organization found itself targeted by protests — and in 1972, the Veiled Prophet himself was unveiled. The attention prompted the ball and parade to split, at least in name. In the 1980s, the parade was moved to July 4 and became the VP Fair and Fair St. Louis. In 2018, the name changed again to America’s Birthday Parade.
In 2019, the Veiled Prophet was absent from the annual parade for the first time in generations. But a few years later, in 2021, the group faced national scrutiny after actress Ellie Kemper apologized for her participation in the ball as a 19-year-old college student in 1999. She called the organization “unquestionably racist, sexist and elitist.”
Although “VP” branding remained part of the parade the sponsor organization rebranded in 2024, becoming Celebrate St. Louis.
Ruwitch, who maintained that “VP” is “just letters,” serves as CFO of VP St. Louis, its foundation and Celebrate St. Louis. Tax forms submitted by VP St. Louis in 2024 showed the nonprofit took in more than $2 million in revenue. The nonprofit reported spending more than $900,000 on its debutante ball and around $815,000 on the July 4 parade. Another $513,000 was spent on “Meetings and events of the membership during the year [for] the purpose of promoting goodwill and cooperation between civic and community leaders.”
Earlier this month, Celebrate St. Louis announced another change: The annual parade will no longer be held in July. Instead, it will be held on an undetermined date in the fall.
