Before Iris Mittenaere won the most beautiful crown of beauty queens in 2016, France had known only one Miss Universe: Christiane Martel. Back to the profile of this extraordinary woman.
France has had two Miss Universes. Well known to the general public, Iris Mittenaere (Miss France 2016) managed to win the most beautiful crown of beauty queens on January 29, 2017, after a magnificent contest propelling her into a dimension that changed her life. It must be said that France has waited more than 60 years to be propelled back to the roof of the world. Because before her, only one woman had achieved such a feat: Christiane Martel, in 1953.
From her real name Christiane Magnani, the latter grew up in Meurthe-et-Moselle, before moving to the Vienne region because of the Second World War. Recognized for her unparalleled beauty, the latter started beauty contests very early, gradually climbing the ladder. Elected locally, then regionally, before becoming the first runner-up in the Miss France competition in 1953. Logically disappointed, Christiane Martel decided to try her luck in the Miss Universe competition in place of Sylviane Charpentier. A title she won hands down, at age 20, in a room in Los Angeles.
Christiane Martel was the very first French Miss Universe
Noted for her good humor and charisma as a femme fatale, Christiane Martel takes advantage of her new status as the most beautiful woman in the world to get into the cinema. Universal Studios offered her one against several films that will make her play in 26 feature films. Bored by the cinema, she then decided to move to Mexico in order to live her love out of sight at the end of the 1950s. Mother of four children, she will forever remain as the very first Miss Universe that France has known.