‘Sinigang’ and South Sea pearls: Miss Universe 2024 visits PH
It’s all true. Miss Universe 2024 Victoria Kjaer Theilvig is the embodiment of a real-life Barbie. In the country this week for a series of meet-and-greets, the first woman from Denmark to win the prestigious pageant looked perfectly put together at Maison Jewelmer in Makati Friday morning.
Wearing a short black sleeveless dress with a tiny pouf of a skirt, she was glowing and looked even more statuesque. Her blond hair was pulled back in a high pony and her makeup was fresh, flawless. Around her neck, on her right ring finger, and dangling from her earlobes were exquisite pearl pieces from the luxury jewelry brand.
After a brief introduction to members of the media, she was led to one of the sitting rooms with a view of the city to answer a few questions. At only 21, Theilvig is one of the youngest women to win the Miss Universe crown, but one could see she’s become a woman aware of herself and her place in the world.
She fielded the usual questions about what she finds fulfilling as the current titleholder, what her impressions are of Filipinos, and whether she has had the chance to sample Pinoy food. Her answers were concise but given in a light, charming manner.
“I enjoy getting to meet so many different people as Miss Universe,” Theilvig said. “Filipinos are so humble, respectful, and so sweet. I’ve only been here for a few days; this is my third day. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to try the local cuisine but I heard that you have something called sinigang, which is a soup that sounds amazing, and I’m very excited to try that.”
We didn’t even mind when she mispronounced the sour broth of meat and vegetables as “Senegal.”
The crown
Another thing the titleholder is looking forward to is a visit to Palawan. “I’m in Manila now which is a really big city, but in Palawan I hope to meet some of the local communities there.”
She did not mention whether she would be taken to the specific islands where Jewelmer has managed its pearl farms since the early ‘80s, but that’s entirely possible.
For the first time in the history of the Miss Universe pageant, Jewelmer was commissioned to create the crown that was placed on Theilvig’s head at last year’s pageant. The one-of-a-kind crown dubbed “The Light of Infinity” features a rare golden South Sea pearl surrounded by diamond-studded rays. Lending it even more magnificence are swirling waves of diamonds and pearls that appear to be buoying up the rare pearl.
When the crown was first unveiled last November, mere days before the pageant, Jewelmer CEO Jacques Branellec said that they had been given “full creative control” by the Miss Universe organization, and that it was “an honor for our family, our country.”
Theilvig was tickled pink when asked by Lifestyle what was the one concrete, physical souvenir she’d like to keep when her reign as Miss Universe ends later this year. With a twinkle in her eye, she said, “I’d love to keep the crown, of course. It’s a symbol of what a woman can accomplish, what I was able to do. I’m only 21 and I won Miss Universe.”
