The modern Miss Universe pageant started in 1952 in Miami Beach, Florida. The Netherlands didn’t participate in the first 4 pageants but started to participate in 1956. We will look back to all those beautiful dutch girls who had the honor to represent our country in the most covered beauty pageant in the world.
The second part of the 80’s brought us the first and so far last Miss Universe from Holland in 1989. The year after in 1990, we saw the last Miss Holland on the sash in the Miss Universe pageant. From 1991 on, it was Miss Netherlands on the sash.
1985
1st runner-up Miss Holland 1983, Brigitte Bergman
The Miss Holland 1985 finals took place in september and the winner would represent the Netherlands at the Miss World 1985. The Miss Universe 1985 pageant was already in july of that year. So the Miss Holland committee asked first runner-up from 1983, Brigitte Bergman, to represent the Netherlands at the Miss Universe pageant in Miami, USA.
Brigitte was already a real pageant veteran as she had represented the Netherlands at the Miss International pageant in 1983, the Miss Europe pageant in 1985 and in 1983 she won the Miss Intercontinental pageant.
At the Miss Universe pageant she was noticed by the press as she won the Miss Photogenic award and therefore she was also a favorite to become a semi-finalist. Unfortunately she didn’t make that cut. Later that year she would replace Miss Holland 1985, Pasquale Somers at the Miss World pageant. The Miss Holland committee wanted to dethrone Pasquale as she had posed nude for “Aktueel”, a weekly male magazine. The judge decided that the magazine was not allowed to publish the pictures, because Pasquale was a minor at time of the shooting and her parents did not sign for it. Another judge decided that the committee was not allowed to dethrone her, as the pictures never were published. But because of the pictures they decided not to send Pasquale to any international pageant.
So Brigitte also went to the Miss World 1985 pageant. She is one of few who have represented the Netherlands at all big pageants of that time.
1986
2nd runner-up Miss Holland 1985, Caroline Veldkamp
Because of the scandal of the year before the Miss Holland Committee asked Caroline Veldkamp to represent the Netherlands at the Miss Universe 1986 pageant in Panama City, Panama.
Before Caroline left, Miss Holland 1985, Pasquale Somers tried to withhold her from leaving. But this time a judge agreed with the Miss Holland Committee and Pasquale was now officially dethroned and Caroline could go to the pageant.
Caroline was one of the big favorites for the crown. However, during the pageant, she had to go back home as her father got seriously ill. She was back in time for the finals, but some say that her leaving the pageant the cause is of her just missing the semi-finals. Caroline was 3rd runner-up at the preliminary swimsuit competition.
Later that year she became a semi-finalist at the Miss International pageant in Japan.
Caroline died last year january after a sickbed.
1987
Miss Holland 1986, Janny Ter Velde
Janny was just 17 when she was crowned Miss Holland 1986. The Miss Holland committee needed a very “clean” Miss Holland after the big scandal with Pasquale Somers in 1985. Janny went to the Miss World pageant in 1986. In 1987 she represented the Netherlands at the Miss Universe pageant in Singapore. Miss Holland was mentioned as one of the European favorites for the crown together with Miss Italy and Miss Finland. When the semi-finalists were announced Miss Finland and Miss Holland were both not among them, as was the number one to beat, Miss Colombia who had some attitude problems, according to the media.
1988
3rd runner-up Miss Holland 1987, Annabet Berendsen
Not Miss Holland 1987 but her 3rd runner-up left for Taipei, Taiwan, to represent the Netherlands at the Miss Universe 1988 pageant. Miss Holland 1987, Angelique Cremers had already represented the Netherlands at the Miss International 1987 and the Miss World 1987 pageant. She would also go to the Miss Universe pageant but it was Annabet who went instead.
Although a real blond beauty she failed to get into the semi-finals. Annabet would represent the Netherlands later at the Miss Globe pageant in Turkey. After that pageant she was asked to play in a turkish movie. She got her fame in the Netherlands when she became a tv-assistant on dutch television for a while.
1989
Miss Holland 1988, Angela Visser
When Angela Visser won the Miss Holland 1988 pageant, she would only go to the Miss Universe 1989 pageant. Her first runner-up, Nandy Hendrickx would represent the Netherlands at the Miss World 1988 pageant. But Nandy was so mad that she hadn’t won as she was the big favorite that she refused to go to the Miss World pageant. The Miss Holland organization wanted to send the 2nd runner-up to the pageant but the Miss World organization refused that. So Angela Visser, Miss Holland, had to leave for Londen where she just missed the semi-finals. Later she told that she was very happy that she first went to the Miss World pageant so she had a better preparation for the Miss Universe pageant.
The Miss Universe pageant took place in Cancun, Mexico. From the start of the pageant Angela was the big favorite for the crown. Some of the other favorites were Miss USA, Miss Mexico, Miss Sweden and Miss Jamaica.
Angela won the crown and became an instant celebrity in the Netherlands. She is still the only woman to win the crown for the Netherlands.
1990
Miss Holland 1989, Stephanie Halenbeek
The Miss Holland Organization had lost the license to send a girl to the Miss World pageant, so Miss Holland 1989 would go to the Miss Universe 1990 pageant in L.A., USA. Stephanie Halenbeek was just 17 when she won the Miss Holland crown and had already tried her luck as a model, when she was a top 3 finalist at the search for the dutch representative at Ford’s Supermodel of the World.
Stephanie was crowned Miss Holland 1989 by Miss Universe 1989, Angela Visser. At the Miss Universe pageant she didn’t place for the semi-finals. After this final, the Miss Holland organization also lost the license to send a girl to the Miss Universe pageant.
Stephanie is the last girl to represent the Netherlands at the Miss Universe pageant with Miss Holland written on the sash.
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