Miss Puerto Rico Stephanie Del Valle Wins Miss World Crown

The Miss World pageant, which first started in 1951, held its 66th edition this year in MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Maryland. The title of this year’s Miss World was bestowed upon Stephanie Del Valle, a 19-year-old model representing Puerto Rico. Del Valle surpassed 116 other contestants from all over the world to win the crown, and she appeared genuinely astounded when announced she was the winner.

This was the second time a contestant from Puerto Rico won Miss World; Wilnelia Merced received the title in 1975. The first runner-up this year was Yaritza Miguelina Reyes Ramirez of the Dominican Republic, followed by Natasha Mannuela of Indonesia. The top nine runner-ups represented the following countries: China, Kenya, Belgium, Philippines, Indonesia, USA, Korea, Dominican Republic and Brazil.

In Del Valle’s entry video for the pageant, the 5’8” stunner said it was an “honour and great responsibility” to represent her country in the contest. In addition to being a model and beauty queen, Del Valle is also a student at Pace University in New York, where she is studying for a BA in communications and a minor in pre-law.

She is also a musician, and proclaimed that her “passion for music” makes her who she is. She is multilingual, fluent in Spanish, English and French. She had previously won Puerto Rico’s national beauty pageant, Miss Mundo de Puerto Rico 2016. With the background and talents she possesses, it is no mystery why this beauty is the recipient of two pageantry awards.