There’s a new and more mature Miss France. The competition has crowned its oldest winner, aged 34, after a rule change allowed more women to compete.
Angélique Angarni-Filopon, from the French Caribbean island of Martinique, won the beauty pageant on Dec. 14. The flight attendant won after a rule change no longer limited the type of participants allowed.
Prior to this new ruling, no woman over age 24 could compete to become Miss France. Moreover, married women or those with children can now enter as well. Angarni-Filopon, who competed before, when she was 20, spoke of her newfound opportunity to try again for the crown.
“In 2011, a young woman aged 20 finished first runner-up in the Miss Martinique competition. Today, it’s the same young woman aged 34 who stands before you to again represent Martinique, its diaspora as well as all the women who were once told that it was too late,” she said, as reported by France 24.
The competition’s organizers shared their reasoning behind the more inclusive regulation. The competition first started in 1920, when women over age 24 seemed too old as symbols of beauty.
However, in an effort to evolve with the times, the Miss France competition now chooses to celebrate successful women no matter what season of their lives. Now, the contestants are a diverse blend of doctors and dentists, still showing off their physiques, talent, and intellect in traditional rounds of pageantry.
Angarni-Filopon won as she competed in swimwear, wore a regional costume, and performed in select musical genres. With her new status, she will receive a yearly salary from the Miss France firm. She will also move into a Parisian apartment to house her incoming gifts from sponsors.
Beyond her age group, Angarni-Filopon also represents the heritage of her home, Martinique. Her crowning is a win for all strides of diversity, signaling a new era for the Miss France competition.
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