The selection of a new queen marks the climax of a long and complex process within the royal palace. An intense, unexplainable emotion suddenly overtakes the king, directed toward an unknown young woman. This profound feeling erases all social boundaries and leads directly to her immediate coronation.
The primary approach among commentators is that the king's affection elevated Esther above two distinct groups of women in the palace. The first group consisted of the concubines and ladies already belonging to the king, toward whom he felt a sense of love born from an existing connection. The second group comprised the new, unmarried young women gathered for the royal auditions, over whom Esther simply found favor [מלבי״ם, רש״י, אבן עזרא, יוסף אבן יחיא]. A midrashic perspective adds that the king was searching for the distinct qualities of both groups in a single person. Miraculously, he found this impossible combination in Esther, placing her far above everyone else [תורה תמימה, שלום אסתר, מנות הלוי, אור חדש].
The intense attraction the king felt was not rooted in ordinary physical beauty. In fact, one opinion suggests that Esther was not conventionally beautiful at all, possessing a somewhat greenish complexion. Instead, a divine thread of grace was drawn over her; had she possessed natural beauty, there would be no need to emphasize the special grace granted to her [תורה תמימה]. Furthermore, her appeal stemmed from her pleasant demeanor, while her kindness was reflected in her excellent character and deeds [יוסף אבן יחיא].
This unique grace also highlights the miraculous nature of her survival. Esther was taken to the palace entirely against her will and refused to cooperate with the king. Under normal circumstances, such defiance would be considered treason and punished by death. However, God performed a tremendous kindness for her. The king was overcome with a miraculous, unnatural love that preceded any standard affection, effectively preventing him from harming her [מגילת סתרים].
Driven by this overwhelming emotion, the king completely abandoned established royal protocol. Rather than waiting to finish reviewing the remaining candidates, he personally placed the royal crown on Esther's head, eager to distinguish her from the rest [מלבי״ם, רלב״ג, יוסף אבן יחיא, שלום אסתר].
Establishing Esther as the new queen specifically in place of her predecessor served to resolve a significant social disparity. The former queen was of noble, royal descent, whereas Esther kept her background hidden and appeared to lack any aristocratic lineage. By positioning Esther exactly in her predecessor's role, the king granted her equal royal standing, treating the queenship as her natural right [אור חדש, מנות הלוי, ביאור שטיינזלץ, יוסף אבן יחיא]. On a psychological and symbolic level, until Esther arrived, the former queen's portrait still hung in the palace and remained fixed in the king's mind. The moment he married Esther, that old portrait was taken down and replaced, entirely erasing the memory of the previous queen and allowing Esther to occupy her place exclusively [תורה תמימה, מנות הלוי, אור חדש].