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The Legacy Continues: The History of Queen of the Bay

A staple of the Belize September Celebrations is the highly anticipated Queen of the Bay pageant. Belize hosts several local and international pageants. However, the Queen of the Bay is a time-honored event in Belize. It is known for its pillars of patriotism, women’s empowerment, and cultural identity.

Here is a journey through the evolution of a historic Belizean occasion. Deep dive into how it started, what makes it unique, how it is impactful, and why it is still relevant.

A Symbol of Sovereignty

Monrad Metzgen was a prolific Belizean patriot, veteran, and founder of the Loyal and Patriotic Order of the Bay (L&POB). After spotting Guatemalan vessels in Belizean waters, the L&POB decided the country needed a symbol of sovereignty, freedom, and the Bay’s willingness to protect itself from would-be aggressors.

In 1946, Metzgen and the L&POB initiated the Queen of the Bay pageant. She would be an emblem of national sovereignty and patriotism. Roderick Augustus Pitts, secretary general of the L&POB, wrote the pageant. His niece, Miss Eloise Humes, wrote the enduring Queen of the Bay song.

It started in Belize City, then known as Belize Town, and it was divided into four patriotic houses: Barrow, Brackett, Fairweather, and Moss. Each house sponsored a delegate. The houses were named after those who took part in the Battle of St. George’s Caye and World War II. Rita Lewis was crowned the first-ever Queen of the Bay on September 10, 1946.

Three years later, the pageant grew, and delegates from across the country were allowed to compete. It was a selection, known as “picking” in villages and districts to send a representative to the national pageant held in Belize City. In 1949, Lita Fuller of the Stann Creek District made history as the first non-Belize City delegate to win. It was the same year the L&POB expanded the pageant.

Traditional and Unconventional

The Queen of the Bay isn’t only Belize’s pioneering pageant. It is one of the longest-running pageants in the world, and the only pageant with an unbroken line. It predates renowned international pageants, including Miss World and Miss Universe.

However, it isn’t called a beauty pageant. “Beauty standards” aren’t considered qualifications for a delegate in the competition. Instead, it focuses on delegates’ poise, community service, and knowledge of national heritage.

There are several elements which makes the Queen of the Bay stand out from others. The historic pageant includes page boys, lady-in-waiting, a heralder, the Abel’s March, and Formal Wear/Curtsy. These reflects the pageant’s colonial influence.

The Abel’s March

The Abel’s March is a traditional tune used in the 10th of September parade. Delegates gracefully perform on stage with bright smiles, a slight bounce, and forward-and-backward movement.

Formal Wear & Curtsy

The Formal Wear segment mirrors British royal practices – ball gowns and curtsies. In the early years of the pageant, delegates wore any color, including white, for their gowns. They would perform a curtsy to the Queen, who would be seated on her throne with her crown, robe, and sceptre. Now, ball gowns are elaborate statement pieces and a sought-after moment during the pageant, along with the curtsy. However, today, only the reigning Queen wears white on pageant night.

There are other segments of the Queen of the Bay that are similar to other pageants. These include introduction, talent, costume, swimsuit, and question-and-answer segments. However, the pageant has changed its segments several times. Currently, the talent and swimsuit segments have been substituted with a costume display.

Unlike many pageants, where the reigning Queen crowns her successor the moment her name is announced, the Queen of the Bay winner is called the Queen Designate. She becomes the official queen on September 10 during the official Battle of St. George’s Caye Day ceremony. A proclamation is read, followed by the outgoing Queen handing over the ceremonial crown, robe, and sceptre officially coronating the winner as the reigning Queen of the Bay.

The Evolution of a Beloved Tradition

Over the years, Queen of the Bay has been a debated tradition because of its colonial backdrop. However, it has continued to cement itself in the country’s heritage for promoting civic pride, women in leadership, and historical knowledge – extending beyond the Battle of St. George’s Caye.

Emma Boiton was a long-standing coordinator for the national Queen of the Bay committee, upholding the prestige, civic value, and tradition which the L&POB started. Under her tutelage, pageant winners were granted a full scholarship to the nation’s university, emphasizing the importance of educating women to become community leaders and country ambassadors. After she departed from the committee, the former Queens created an association to continue the path Ms. Emma, as she’s affectionately known, created, so there are more opportunities to uplift young women through the pageant.

In recent years, the pageant has included a platform statement and an enclosed panel interview. The delegates express the causes they advocate for to an audience at the Sashing Ceremony. They also have an intimate opportunity to speak with the judges about who they are and their passion for community service.

The march, curtsy, and coronation have become symbols of the decades-old pageant rather than homage to current British royalty. They are signature elements that make the Queen of the Bay not only traditional, but unique amongst the many other national and international pageants.

Why the Legacy Continues

For eighty consecutive years, Queen of the Bay have enriched the Belize September Celebrations with entertainment, elegance, and patriotism on full display. The pageant takes place on the last Saturday in August, followed by the coronation on September 10, Battle of St. George’s Caye Day.

Many former queens have completed higher education, opening doors to greater opportunities within and outside the country. Queens have also received other fabulous prizes, including a parcel of land, providing a foundation in the country they dearly love.

Aside from the crown, the Association of Former Queens introduced a Queen of the Bay plaque in Memorial Park, the location where most queens were coronated. It is a tangible commemoration for queens to etch their names into history, creating a new attraction to visit in Belize City.

In 2025, former queens from in-country, the US, UK, and Canada attended the pageant to select the 80th Queen of the Bay. It was a monumental milestone for the start of a new decade in Queen of the Bay history.

Eighty years of national heritage, cultural celebration, women in leadership, and sisterhood.

Queen of the Bay continues to write its story in Belizean history, from colonial British Honduras to sovereign Belize.

Fun Fact: The banner image is part of Belize’s 2026-2030 Definitive Stamp Collection, “Celebrating Belize.” It is one of eleven new stamps, valued at 10 BZD. In the photo, from left to right: Miss Belize City Queen of the Bay – Queen Vivica Perez, 80th Queen of the Bay – Queen Samantha Ramirez, 79th Queen of the Bay – Queen Deanni Laing, and Miss Stann Creek West Queen of the Bay – Queen Sasha Lopez.