Miss Iceland Queen Of The World

Global beauty pageant Miss World has been won by a 21-year-old anthropology student from Iceland - the daughter of the country's 1983 beauty queen.

The stunning lineage paid off on Saturday night (10DEC05) when Unnur Birna Vilhjalmsdottir beat 101 other beauties from around the world to the prestigious crown at the finals in Sanya, China.

The ceremony, which was broadcast to a massive two billion people, saw brunette Vilhjalmsdottir outdo her mother's achievements in the competition 22 years earlier, when she finished in the top five.

But the newly crowned bombshell was quick to praise her parent for the help and support she'd received.

She said of the honour, "It came as a big shock but the feeling is incredible - I am numb.

"I did not hear my name at first. I just heard it echo around the room. I only knew it was me because nobody else moved.

"My mum gave me some advice for how to behave, and it seems to have worked. She told me to be myself, not be fake in any way, and to relax. I am so pleased that she was able to be here to see me win the title."

Vilhjalmsdottir will embark on a year's term as a goodwill ambassador and charity fund-raiser for children's causes, and is likely to attract a host of modelling and acting contracts.

Second and third place in the competition went to entrants from Mexico and Puerto Rico respectively.