Harnaaz Sandhu and R’Bonney Gabriel. Images from Armin P. Adina and Miss Universe Organization
MANILA, Philippines — Harnaaz Sandhu turned over the Miss Universe title to R’Bonney Gabriel as one of the longest-reigning queens in the pageant’s history whose term extended beyond a year. But four other titleholders held the crown longer than she did.
Sandhu, the third winner from India, was crowned at the 70th Miss Universe pageant held in Israel in December 2021. She relinquished her title to Gabriel only last Jan. 14, which gave her a reign that spanned one year, one month, and one day.
But the longest-reigning Miss Universe titleholder is Zozibini Tunzi, the third winner from South Africa, who held the title for one year, five months, and eight days. She inherited the crown from Filipino queen Catriona Gray in December 2019 but was only able to relinquish her title in May 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
ZOZIBINI TUNZI FACEBOOK PHOTO
The second longest reign was recorded by Angola’s first Miss Universe winner Leila Lopes who was crowned in Sao Paulo, Brazil, in September 2011. When she relinquished her title to the United States’ eighth winner Olivia Culpo in December 2012, her reign ended one year, three months, and seven days after capturing the crown.
Gabriela Isler, Venezuela’s seventh winner, reigned for one year, two months, and 15 days. She received the Miss Universe title in December 2013, and relinquished it in January 2015.
The Philippines’ third Miss Universe titleholder, Pia Wurtzbach, ranks fourth for having a reign spanning one year, one month, and 10 days, just nine days longer than Sandhu’s term. The Filipino queen captured the title in the US on Dec. 20, 2015, and relinquished it in Manila on Jan. 30, 2017.
Pia Wurtzbach/ARMIN P. ADINA
But because there were queens who held on to the crown for more than a year, we now have titleholders whose reigns have been truncated. Andrea Meza holds the distinction for having the shortest reign ever as Miss Universe.
Andrea Meza/MISS UNIVERSE FACEBOOK PHOTO
Meza, the third winner from Mexico, inherited the title from the longest-reigning queen, Tunzi. The 2020 pageant was postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and was held only in May 2021. The Mexican titleholder relinquished her crown in December 2021, three days shy of seven months since capturing the title.
The second winner from Colombia, Paulina Vega, reigned for 11 months and 25 days. She inherited the Miss Universe title from Isler in January 2015 and relinquished her crown to Wurtzbach in December 2015.
Iris Mittenaere / ARMIN P. ADINA
Wurtzbach’s successor also had a short reign. She turned over her crown to Iris Mittenaere, France’s second Miss Universe titleholder, in January 2017. The French queen then relinquished her title to Gray’s predecessor Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters in November of the same year, for a reign that spanned just nine months and 27 days.
Gabriel is also poised to have a truncated reign. Because the 2022 pageant was moved to January this year, she is scheduled to crown a successor this 2023.
El Salvador has been announced as the host country for the 72nd Miss Universe pageant which is scheduled before the year ends. EDV