Miss Puerto Rico Stephanie del Valle is crowned Miss World 2016

   A teenage student from Puerto Rico has been crowned Miss World 2016, beating runners-up from the Dominican Republic and Indonesia, as well as more than 100 beauties from around the globe.

Stephanie del Valle, 19, stole the coveted crown at the pageant held at the MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Maryland, on Sunday.

Crowned by Miss World 2015 Mireia Lalaguna of Spain, a tearful Miss del Valle said it was an 'honour and a great responsibility' to represent her Caribbean homeland.

Miss del Valle is a communications studies student who speaks Spanish, English and French, and dreams of getting into the entertainment industry.



The part-time model and musician, who is currently studying at Pace University in New York, stunned in a pale pink tulle gown studded with hundreds of diamantes and featuring a cut-out bodice with a plunging neckline.

Miss Del Valle is the second ever Puerto Rican entrant to win the coveted title, after Wilnelia Merced took the crown in 1975.

The first runner-up of the 2016 edition of the pageant, held at the MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Maryland, was Yaritza Miguelina Reyes Ramirez of the Dominican Republic, followed by Miss World Indonesia Natasha Mannuela.

Contestants from Kenya and Catriona Gray of the Philippines also were in the final five.

As for UK entrants, none of them made it into the top 20 with England's Elizabeth Grant, Northern Ireland's Emma Carswell, Scotland's Lucy Kerr and Wales' Ffion Georgina failing to make it to the finals.

Canada's Miss World representative, Chinese-born Anastasia Lin was embroiled in a controversy when pageant officials reportedly warned her against speaking to the press for three weeks about human rights abuses in China.

She was given the green light again on Wednesday.