A queen carnival was a type of fundraising event that was popular in New Zealand and Australia during the early 20th century. They were particularly common during World War I and in the years after, when they were used to raise funds for returned soldiers. The first such carnival is believed to have been held in Napier, New Zealand, in 1913. The carnivals were not always annual events, and were held in various locations throughout a year.

Possibly the first time the popular election of the Queen of the Carnival was used as fundraiser was at the 1913 Napier mardi gras. One report said the contest was for a "Queen of Beauty" and the public would choose from photographs of the entrants with names remaining secret. There were 13 candidates. A vote cost two pence and with 62580 votes cast, over £500 was raised.

As the Queen would reign over the revels, wit, personality, majesty and a talent for theatre would be of advantage and the election of Mrs J. A. Rosewarne proved a success, although one newspaper did think the Queen of Carnival should be unmarried. Mrs Rosewarne was also called Napier's Queen of Song and was principal soprano at a pre-festival performance of the Messiah. The mardi gras was a triumphant success and the Queen, as part of the theatre of the event, bestowed honours on a number of the Napier burghers and made the organiser of the carnival, John Hopkins, a KCMG or Knight Commander Mardi Gras.

One newspaper devoted a page to pictures of the carnival and a film was made for screening at picture theatres.

Inaugurated by the Napier Thirty Thousand Club to raise money for town beautification, the mardi gras became an annual event which John Hopkins continued to organise. The war changed priorities, and in 1914 the proceeds went to the Belgian Relief Fund and in 1915 to the Wounded Soldiers Fund. .

The carnival became a model for other queen carnivals in New Zealand and John Hopkins was approached to help with the upcoming Whanganui carnival

William Lints (aka William Lintz) was born in Aberdeen, Scotland on 14 December 1881. His parents were William and Helen Lints. The family moved first to Australia in 1882 where Lints was educated. In July 1893 the family emigrated to New Zealand and settled in Whanganui. Lints became a hairdresser and married Mabel Daisy Armstrong, the daughter of William and Sarah Armstrong, in 1902. In 1903 he became manager of the Central Hairdressing Saloon in New Plymouth. Lints established his own business, the Antiseptic Hairdressing Saloon, in Devon Street East, New Plymouth. He was also a sportsman; instructing and doing gymnastics; playing hockey and water polo; swimming; and skating. As early as 1903, in Whanganui, he became involved in organising activities for the civic organisations he belonged to.

After creating the Queen Carnival concept, which he ran along with a revue called "Fete of nations" in 1914, Lints went on to direct large patriotic musical extravaganzas from 1916 to at least 1941. These included the "Battle of Bullion Hill" in 1916, the "Silver Bullet Cannoncade" in 1917, the revue called variously "Reveille", "Our Reveille", and "Reveille 1924" which ran from 1917 to the 1930s, and a 1941 revue called "Britannia". These revues were performed throughout New Zealand using Lints' own company supplemented by local performers from a variety of disciplines including ballet, opera, bands, and theatre.