{{Short description|Beauty pageant edition}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2024}} {{Infobox beauty pageant | image = | caption = May-Louise Flodin | winner = [[May-Louise Flodin]] | represented = Sweden | date = 14 November 1952 | presenters = [[Eric Morley]] | entrants = 11 | placements = 5 | venue = [[Lyceum Theatre, London|Lyceum Ballroom]], [[London]], United Kingdom | debuts = {{Hlist|Finland|Ireland|Switzerland|West Germany}} | withdrawals = {{Hlist|Mexico}} | before = [[Miss World 1951|1951]] | next = [[Miss World 1953|1953]]}}
'''Miss World 1952''' was the second [[Miss World]] pageant, held at the [[Lyceum Theatre, London|Lyceum Ballroom]] in [[London]], United Kingdom, on 14 November 1952.
At the conclusion of the event, [[May-Louise Flodin]] of Sweden was announced as Miss World 1952. It was the first back-to-back victory in Miss World. During the announcement of winners, Flodin was only awarded with a trophy and a bouquet.
A special award was given by actress and former beauty queen [[Betty Hutton]], who came third-runner up in each of her beauty pageant. It was given to Eva Hellas of Finland. It is also known, unofficially, that the fourth-runner up was Marlene Ann Dee of United Kingdom and the fifth runner-up was Nicole Drouin from France.
Eleven contestants from ten countries participated in this year's pageant, the smallest number of contestants in its history. The pageant was hosted by [[Eric Morley]].
== Background == === Selection of participants === Eleven contestants from ten countries were selected to compete in the pageant. Two contestant was invited to compete again to even out the number of contestants, while two contestants were appointed to replace the original winner.
==== Replacements ==== Elisabeth van Proosdij was set to represent Holland at Miss World.<ref>{{Cite news |date=28 April 1951 |title=Amsterdams meisje gekozen tot Miss Holland |trans-title=Amsterdam girl chosen as Miss Holland |url=https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=ABCDDD:010831070:mpeg21:p001 |access-date=29 February 2024 |work=Het Parool |pages=1 |via=Delpher}}</ref> However, Van Proosdij chose to get married during her reign.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |date=31 October 1952 |title=Wie wordt "Miss World"? |trans-title=Who will be "Miss World"? |url=https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=MMRAZ03:179301106:mpeg21:p00007 |access-date=29 February 2024 |work=Zutphens dagblad voor de Graafschap en Veluwezoom |page=7 |language=nl |via=Delpher}}</ref> Therefore, Sanny Weitner, first runner-up at Miss Holland 1951, was appointed as the representative of Holland at Miss World.<ref name=":0" />
==== Debuts and withdrawals ==== After promoting the competition with twelve contestants, Morley thought of inviting Miss Britain 1951 Marlene Ann Dee to complete the twelve contestants in this edition. This edition marked the debuts of Finland, Ireland, Switzerland and West Germany. Belgium was also set to debut this year, however, Anne-Marie Pauwels refused to part from her boyfriend during the contest,<ref>{{Cite web|date=11 January 2010|title=Erelijst Miss België|url=https://www.demorgen.be/tv-cultuur/erelijst-miss-belgie~b5723d4d/|access-date=29 February 2024|website=De Morgen|language=nl-NL}}</ref> leading to her disqualification. Thus, only eleven contestants competed in the finals. Leila Teresa Tuma of Syria did not compete due to political tensions.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mobayed |first=Samy Marwan |date=30 March 2022 |title=Syrian beauty pageants from a long, long time ago |url=https://raseef22.net/english/article/1087129-syrian-beauty-pageants-from-a-long-long-time-ago |access-date=10 March 2025 |website=Raseef22 |language=en}}</ref>
== Results == [[File:Miss_World_1952_Map.PNG|thumb|250x250px|Miss World 1952 participating countries]]
=== Placements === {| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:95%;" !Placement !Contestant |- | Miss World 1952 | * {{flagu|Sweden}} – [[May-Louise Flodin]]<ref name=":1">{{Cite news|date=22 November 2022|title=Bouquets|pages=3|work=[[The Straits Times]]|url=http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19521122-1.2.28|access-date=29 February 2024|via=[[National Library Board]]}}</ref> |- | 1st Runner-Up | * {{flagu|Switzerland}} – Sylvia Müller<ref name=":1" /> |- | 2nd Runner-Up | * {{flagu|West Germany}} – Vera Marks<ref name=":1" /> |- | 3rd Runner-Up | * {{flagu|Finland}} – Eva Hellas<ref>{{Cite news |date=19 November 1952 |title=Fairest of them all |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=qsNeAAAAIBAJ&sjid=rzEMAAAAIBAJ&pg=2722%2C1689311 |access-date=29 February 2024 |work=Lewiston Morning Tribune |pages=5 |via=[[Google News Archive]]}}</ref> |- | 4th Runner-Up | * {{flagu|United Kingdom}} – Marlene Ann Dee<ref name="Runner-Ups and Judges">{{Cite web |last1=Rodríguez Matute |first1= Julio |date=14 October 2019 |title=Miss World 1952 |url=https://rodriguezmatute.home.blog/2019/10/14/miss-world-1952/ |access-date=9 October 2025 |website=MISS WORLD HISTORY / HISTORIA DE MISS MUNDO |language=en}}</ref> |- | 5th Runner-Up | * {{flagu|France}} – Nicole Drouin<ref name="Runner-Ups and Judges"></ref> |}
== Judges == A panel of six judges evaluated the performances of the eleven contestants. They were:<ref name="Runner-Ups and Judges"></ref> *[[Glynis Johns]] - actress *[[Petula Clark]] - singer and actress *[[Richard Todd]] - actor *Claude Berr - co-organizer of the [[Miss Europe]] pageant *Eddy Franklyn - owner of a model agency *[[Charles Eade]] - editor of the [[Sunday Dispatch]]
== Contestants == Eleven contestants competed for the title.<ref>{{cite web|title=2nd Miss World - 1952|url= https://www.missworld.com/contestants/1952|work=[[Miss World]]|access-date=30 April 2025|language=en|archive-date=24 February 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250224000722/https://www.missworld.com/contestants/1952|url-status=live}}</ref> {| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size: 95%;" ! Country !! Contestant !! Age{{efn|Age at the time of the pageant|name=B}} !! Hometown |- | {{flagu|Denmark}} || {{sortname|Lillian|Christensen|nolink=1}} || – || [[Copenhagen]] |- | {{flagu|Finland}} || {{sortname|Eva|Hellas|nolink=1}}<ref>{{Cite web|last=De Rybel|first=Seija|date=8 September 2006|title=Eva Hellas, Miss Suomi 1952|url=http://yle.fi/aihe/artikkeli/2006/09/08/eva-hellas-miss-suomi-1952|access-date=29 February 2024|website=Yle|language=fi-FI|trans-title=Eva Hellas, Miss Finland 1952}}</ref> || 19 || [[Helsinki]] |- | {{flagu|France}} || {{sortname|Nicole|Drouin|nolink=1}}<ref name=":03">{{Cite news|date=8 November 1952|title=There's beauty for you|pages=3|work=[[The Straits Times]]|url=http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19521108-1.2.34|access-date=29 February 2024|via=National Library Board}}</ref> || 22 || [[Paris]] |- | {{flagu|Ireland}} || {{sortname|Eithne|Dunne|nolink=1}} || — || [[Dublin]] |- | {{flagu|Netherlands}}{{Efn|Competed as Holland in the pageant}} || {{sortname|Sanny|Weitner|nolink=1}}<ref>{{Cite news |date=11 November 1952 |title=Miss Holland (reserve) wil Miss World worden |trans-title=Miss Holland (reserve) wants to become Miss World |url=https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=ddd:010613398:mpeg21:p009 |access-date=29 February 2024 |work=Leeuwarder courant |pages=9}}</ref> || 19 || [[Amsterdam]] |- | {{flagu|Sweden}} || {{sortname|May-Louise|Flodin}}<ref>{{Cite news |date=15 November 1952 |title=Miss Zweden, het mooiste meisje van de wereld |trans-title=Miss Sweden, the most beautiful girl in the world |url=https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=ddd:110585661:mpeg21:p001 |access-date=29 February 2024 |work=De Telegraaf |pages=1}}</ref> || 20 || [[Gothenburg]] |- | {{flagu|Switzerland}} || {{sortname|Sylvia|Müller|nolink=1}} || 20 || [[Geneva]] |- | rowspan="2" | {{flagu|United Kingdom}}{{Efn|Competed as Britain in the pageant}} || {{sortname|Doreen|Dawne|nolink=1}}<ref name=":02">{{Cite news |date=18 August 1951 |title=Swedesh miss wins beauty title |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=eSdgAAAAIBAJ&sjid=_24NAAAAIBAJ&pg=7198%2C1874030 |access-date=29 February 2024 |work=Saskatoon Star-Phoenix |pages=4 |via=[[Google News Archive]]}}</ref> || 29 | rowspan="2" | [[London]] |- | {{sortname|Marlene Ann|Dee|nolink=1}} || 20 |- | {{flagu|United States|1912}} || {{sortname|Tally|Richards|nolink=1}}<ref>{{Cite news|date=12 November 1952|title=Untitled|pages=7|work=Singapore Standard|url=http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/singstandard19521112-1.2.106|access-date=29 February 2024|via=National Library Board}}</ref> || 24 || [[New York City]] |- | {{flagu|West Germany}} || {{sortname|Vera|Marks|nolink=1}}<ref>{{Cite news|date=2 October 1951|title=Vera Marks|language=de|work=[[Der Spiegel]]|url=https://www.spiegel.de/politik/vera-marks-a-af41c89d-0002-0001-0000-000029192189|access-date=29 February 2024|issn=2195-1349}}</ref> || 19 || [[Frankfurt]] |}
== Notes == {{Notelist}} <references group="lower-alpha" responsive="1"></references>
== References == {{Reflist}} == External links ==
* [http://www.missworld.com/ Miss World official website] {{Miss World}}
[[Category:Miss World]] [[Category:1952 in London]] [[Category:1952 beauty pageants]] [[Category:Beauty pageants in England]] [[Category:November 1952 in the United Kingdom]]