- Penelope Anne Coelen
Penelope Anne Coelen (born 1939,
Durban , South Africa) wasMiss World 1958.In 1958, the
Miss World Pageant was still in its early years. Its eighth pageant was a great success, attracting 22 contestants fromEurope , theAmericas ,Asia andAfrica . Europeans dominated the semi-finals with 9 out of 12 places secured by women from the hostcontinent . 5 of the 6 finalists were from Europe as well, but it was a striking young woman from theRepublic of South Africa who took home the coveted crown.Penelope Anne Coelen, or Penny to her friends and fans, was elected Miss World and was the first major international titleholder to come from
Africa . The 18-year-old secretary fromDurban enraptured the audience with her poise and beauty. She gained widespread international attention during her reign and received several lucrative modelling offers. After her reign as Miss World 1958, she tried her luck out inHollywood with the help ofJames Garner , but failed her screen test but managed to launch her own clothing and endorsed beauty products as well asperfume s. Later she returned to South Africa, married wealthysugar cane farmer Graeme Rey from theKwaZulu-Natal Province and she remains today a prominent socialite in South Africa, race-horse owner, and is a renowned pistol shot.Fact|date=November 2007She swore that she would never go through the terror of competing again, noting that it was "too nerve-wracking," yet that being a Miss World contestant and titleholder was "something I would not have liked to miss."Fact|date=November 2007
Quotes
*"It's just wonderful. Just think - I was only Miss South Africa yesterday. Now I'm Miss World. And I feel on top of the world." Penny Coelen excited call back home after winning Miss World.
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