England has crowned some new royalty: Miss Venezuela was awarded the title of Miss World 2011 today in London.
22-year-old Ivian Sarcos of Venezuela took the title of Miss World at Earl's Court in London, fighting back tears in a poufy pink princess gown as she accepted the crown from last year's winner, Alexandria Mills of the United States.
One of 13 children, Sarcos is a human resources graduate who currently works from a broadcasting company. She aspires to work with children, reports Reuters. Miss Philippines, Gwendoline Ruais, was named the runner-up, while Miss Puerto Rico, Amanda Perez, placed third.
But Sarcos doesn't hail from a glitzy background: she spent five years in an orphanage run by nuns after losing her parents at age eight. "My dream was to become a nun," she said at the pageant. Looks like things turned out slightly different for the new title-holder.
The pageant, held first in 1952, was broadcast live to more than 150 countries and was watched by a billion viewers. To celebrate its 60th anniversary, it was held in its original location of London.
Congrats to Ivian! See some photos from the pageant, including Sarcos' epic pink gown, in our slideshow below.
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