© Joan Currie – Morocco

...wishing we could make every woman a queen, for every single day!
Jack Bailey – host

This photograph taken of a mock wedding ceremony in Morocco, reminded me of one of my mother’s favorite television shows that aired on NBC from 1956 – 1964 called Queen for a Day.

In the show, four contestants each revealed a need for a wheelchair, diaper service, vacation or the like. The most deserving winner was determined by the intensity of audience clapping (akin to voting) and reflected in the highest score on the applause meter.

The highlight of the show was the crowning of Queen for a Day. Accompanied by the music Pomp and Circumstance, the queen was wrapped in a red velvet cape edged in white sable, a glittery crown was placed on her well-coiffed head, and she was presented with a bouquet of red roses. Seated on a gilded throne, the monarch wept while the host rattled off a long list of prizes that included major appliances, cooking or sewing essentials, and lunch at a chic Hollywood restaurant. It was the true forerunner of shows like The Newlywed Game, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, and even American Idol.

Model – Caren Currie