Victoria Kjær Theilvig takes home the Miss Universe 2024 crown in a historic first win for her country of Denmark, superseding 120 other contestants in the famous beauty pageant.
Denmark is celebrating a historic victory with the recent crowning of Miss Universe 2024 winner, Victoria Kjær Theilvig in this year’s host city of Mexico. This is a real first for the Scandinavian country, which had never taken home the crown in the pageant’s 72-year history.
In the usual tradition, last year’s Miss Universe winner Sheynnis Palacios of Nicaragua crowned Theilvig with the famous tiara (this year’s piece made by none other than luxury brand Jewelmer) upon her win.
“First sunrise as Miss Universe,” Theilvig posts on Instagram after winning the crown. “Waking up with gratitude, dreams, and a crown—ready to embrace this incredible journey.”
It was a stunning competition, as other equally-accomplished and beautiful women gave it their all, including Nigeria’s Chidimma Adetshina, who was the first runner-up. Also included in the top five were Mexico’s Maria Fernanda Beltran Figueroa (the second runner-up), Thailand’s Opal Suchata Chuangsri, and Venezuela’s Ileana Marquez Pedroza.
Meanwhile, the Philippines’ very own Chelsea Manalo won Miss Universe Asia 2024, standing tall and proud as the continental queen after her amazing performances.
READ ALSO: Living The Dream: Chelsea Manalo Embarks On Her Miss Universe Journey
What It Takes To Be Miss Universe
As with many of the other Miss Universe pageants, this year’s competition followed a similar pattern composed of fashion showcases and a Q&A portion, including a vibrant national costume show, swimsuit performance, and evening gown show.
The final five contestants were then gathered to answer questions on a variety of topics, one of them being the following: “Miss Universe has inspired generations of women. What do you want to say to the ones watching you know?”
Theilvig had this to say: “My message to all the world that are watching out there is: no matter where you come from, no matter your past, you can always choose to turn these into your strengths. It will never define who you are; you just have to keep fighting. I stand here today because I want to change, I want to make history, and that’s what I’m doing tonight.” It seems that this year’s reigning queen already knew that she was going to keep her promise.
The 2024 pageant also marked another exciting milestone: the removal of its tight age restrictions, which means women over 28 are now permitted to join. As Jessie Yeung and Oscar Holland of CNN detail, Malta’s Beatrice Njoya was the first and only woman in her 40s to reach the grand finale.
The New Miss Universe: Victoria Kjær Theilvig
Born in Copenhagen, 21-year-old Theilvig began her beauty pageant journey at a young age, joining Miss Denmark in 2021 (and finished second runner-up). Then in 2022, she joined the Miss Grand International pageant in Bangkok, Thailand, making it to the competition’s top 20.
Yet beyond the crown, the new Miss Universe is an entrepreneur in the jewelry industry, having graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business and marketing; she currently specializes in diamond sales, as US Weekly reveals.
Theilvig is also a former professional dancer and a proud animal protection advocate, which she makes clear in her Instagram profile. After being crowned Miss Universe Denmark in 2024, she visited the country’s animal protection organization Dyreværnet to raise awareness on neglected animals and champion responsible pet parenting.
“Together, we are advocating for animal welfare and fostering a compassionate community that values all living beings,” she writes in an Instagram post. “Each animal adopted means another life saved, and the community becomes more aware of the importance of protecting these vulnerable creatures. It’s a beautiful cycle of love and responsibility.”
In an effort to modernize, pageants continue to look beyond the pretty faces, recognizing beauty that transcends the physical, and Theilvig—along with the many accomplished women who sparkled throughout the competition, including Manalo—truly exemplifies this.
Banner photos via Instagram @missuniverse.
