Miss Universe joins Miss Earth, Miss International in crowning ‘first’ queen

Queens of 2024 (from left) Miss Earth Jessica Lane, Miss Universe Victoria Kjær Theilvig, and Miss International Huynh Thi Thanh Thuy/ARMIN P. ADINA, MISS UNIVERSE ORGANIZATION

With the coronation of Victoria Kjær Theilvig as Miss Universe 2024, all three major international pageants held this month crowned queens who were the first from their respective countries to win in their competitions.

Theilvig bested 124 other aspirants at the 73rd Miss Universe coronation night held at Arena CDMX in Mexico City, Mexico, on Nov. 16 (Nov. 17 in Manila), becoming the first Danish woman to receive the title.

Her victory came just days after Huynh Thi Thanh Thuy posted Vietnam’s first victory at the 2024 Miss International pageant held at the Tokyo Dome City Hall in Tokyo, Japan, on Nov. 12. She bested 71 other aspirants for the crown.

And also this month, the Miss Earth pageant crowned its first Australian winner, Jessica Lane, who edged out 75 other delegates at the final competition held at the Cove Manila club of Okada Manila in Parañaque City on Nov. 9.

In an interesting coincidence, the women who finished second in the three pageants were also hoping to score their respective countries’ first wins in their competitions. 

Hrafnhildur Haraldsdottir failed to snag Iceland’s first Miss Earth crown and settled for the Miss Earth-Air title.

Bolivia’s Camila Ribera Roca also came so close to giving her country its first-ever Miss International win and finished as first runner-up in the Tokyo tilt.

In the Miss Universe pageant, Chidimma Adetshina almost became the first Nigerian woman to win the crown but ended up as first runner-up.

Last year’s Miss Universe winner Sheynnis Palacios was also the first winner from her country, Nicaragua, while 2023 Miss Earth Drita Ziri is the first-ever major international pageant winner from Albania.