Miss Universe Philippines 2023 Michelle Dee surprised her mother, former beauty queen Melanie Marquez, with a replica of her Miss International 1979 crown—decades after the original piece was reportedly stolen.
Dee shared a video of the heartfelt moment on Instagram on July 30, showing Marquez opening a red box containing the replica crown while they were inside a car.
“This was my crown? How did you find it?” an emotional Marquez asked as she hugged her daughter and tried on the crown for photos.
“Years ago, my mom’s original Miss International 1979 crown was stolen. She never got it back,” Dee wrote in the caption.
Dee said she coordinated with fashion director Voltaire Tayag to create the replica, which included intricate details she hadn’t known about before.
Referring to her mother as her “reyna,” Dee expressed her deep admiration and love, crediting Marquez for raising her to become a strong woman and for always believing in her potential.
