Gibraltar Will Be Forever British, Vows Former Miss World

Great Britain has controlled Gibraltar since 1713, but Spain wants it back. Seizing on Brexit as an excuse, the Spanish government has started exerting pressure on the Rock. For example, it is imposing Schwengen controls at the border, where 10,000 Spaniards commute every day:

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But Gibraltar has no intention of giving in. Gibraltar has a new mayor; the Gibraltar Chronicle reports:

New mayor Kaiane Lopez broke records yesterday as both Gibraltar’s youngest and the first Miss World to be a mayor.
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Yesterday outgoing Mayor Adolfo Canepa passed on the mayoral medallion to Mrs Lopez at an Investiture Ceremony held at the City Hall, marking the start of her tenure.

The Chronicle hails Ms. Lopez as “The most beautiful Mayor in the world.” That is a pretty safe bet:

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Ms. Lopez is a patriotic Brit. Asked about Gibraltar’s future, she replied:

I am proud to be British.

Gibraltar is British and always will be. Why would we ever want to change our flag?

Newspaper references to Gibraltar’s Mayor as a former Miss World rang a bell. Sure enough, she won an upset victory in 2009, and we covered it here. Sadly, however, we have moved data bases since 2009, and the photos that accompanied the post didn’t make the trip. I wrote at the time:

In a mild upset, Kaiane Aldorino, Miss Gibraltar, won the Miss World pageant last night. Of course, in the world of pageantry, upsets are mild by definition, since favorites generally don’t win. This year’s betting favorite, Miss Puerto Rico, didn’t make the top 16 last night. Moreover, as winner of the Beach Beauty competition, Miss Gibraltar should have been considered one of the favorites.

This is Miss Gibraltar in her Beach Beauty days:

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Video of Miss Aldorino winning the Miss World title also survives:

I have often noted that, for whatever reason, most pageant contestants are blessed with better judgment and more good sense than–for example–the average politician. Ms. Aldorino/Lopez (she has married in the meantime) fits that mold. Congratulations to her, and may Gibraltar always be British!

Here’s one more:

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