Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Helen Elizabeth Morgan, of Barry, Wales, is the 1974 winner of the Miss United Kingdom pageant. She earned the right to represent the United Kingdom in Miss World, eventually becoming the second Welsh woman and the fourth UK representative to win the competition in 1974. The celebration was short-lived, however, when she resigned four days after her victory, upon the discovery that she had a child. Although this did not violate the competition rules (which stipulated only that entrants must be unmarried), she was made to resign. First runner-up Anneline Kriel of South Africa succeeded her. Helen became the first winner to resign, and the second not to finish her reign as Miss World. Marjorie Wallace, the titleholder in 1973, was fired in March 1974, but the crown was not offered to any of the runners-up. Prior to competing in Miss World, Morgan represented Wales in the 1974 Miss Universe Beauty Pageant, where she finished First Runner Up to Amparo Muñoz of Spain. When Amparo Muñoz resigned as Miss Universe before the end of her reign, the crown was not offered to Helen or anyone of the runners up. She currently resides in France.
The runners-up were:
1st runner-up: Anneline Kriel South Africa (took over title)
2nd runner-up: Lea Klain Israel
3rd runner-up: Gail Margaret Petith Australia
4th runner-up: Terry Ann Browning United States
Finalists:
5th runner-up: Jill Lindqvist Sweden
6th runner-up: Chikako Shima Japan
The delegates who made the top 15 were:
Evelyn Peggy Williams Africa South
Linda Yvonne Field Barbados
Mariza Sommer Brazil
Julie Ann Farnham Ireland
Andrea Lyon Jamaica
Sue Nicholson New Zealand
Torill Mariann Larsen Norway
Natividad Rodríguez Fuentes Spain
Special Awards
Miss Personality: Judy Denise Anita Dirkin Hong Kong
Miss Photogenic: Jadranka Banjac Yugoslavia
****Anneline Kriel won the 1974 Miss World contest, representing South Africa, after UK's Helen Morgan had resigned only four days after her victory. She became the second woman from her country to win the title. The pageant was held at The Royal Albert Hall in London.. Anneline was married to entertainment and casino magnet Sol Kerzner, (of Sun City fame). Also to Peter Bacon and the late Phillip Tucker whome she has two daughters. Anneline still lives in Johannesburg.
