With beauty, brains and brawn, 2016 bids the world goodbye while bearing some great and exciting news. On 18 December 2016, Stephanie Del Valle of Puerto Rico, was hailed Miss World 2016. Mireia Lalaguna Royo, Miss World 2015, crowned the winner in the 66th edition of the Ms. World Pageant in MGM National Harbor, Oxon Hill, Maryland, United States.
Yaritza Miguelina Reyes Ramirez of the neighboring Dominican Republic and Natasha Mannuela from faraway Indonesia were crowned as the first and second runners-up, respectively.
The 19-year-old winner referred her new title as an "honor and a great responsibility" to represent her island in the international level. Del Valle bested 117 other contestants from all over the world.
Catriona Gray, representative of the Philippines, have also made it into the final five.
None of the UK entrants made it into the final 20 including Elizabeth Grant from England, Emma Carwell from Northern Ireland, Ffion Georgina from Wales and Lucy Kerr from Scotland.
Anastasia Lin, a Chinese-born representative from Canada, was warned by pageant officials against speaking to the press about human rights issues in China. This was lifted on Tuesday.
Del Valle is a law and communications student at Pace University in New York. She speaks English, Spanish, and French and is also a part-time model and a musician.
Del Valle also expressed her dreams of being part of the entertainment industry.
The newly crowned Miss World 2016 emotionally sashayed the stage in her pale pink gown embedded with elegant sequences and featuring a cut-out bodice with a plunging neckline.
Del Valle has not further posted in social media yet but most of her 10,000 followers have already taken the opportunity congratulate her.
Eric Morley from Britain created the Miss World Pageant in 1951. It is the oldest surviving major international beauty pageant. Miss World Pageant among the most famous international beauty contests, together with Miss Earth and Miss Universe.
Del Valle becomes the second Puerto Rican to win the title since Wilnelia Merced in 1975.
