Kaiane Loise Aldorino Lopez, GMH (

née A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth re ...

Aldorino; born 8 July 1986) is a

Gibraltarian The Gibraltarians (Spanish: ''gibraltareños'', colloquially: '' llanitos'') are an ethnic group native to Gibraltar, a British overseas territory located near the southernmost tip of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance to the Mediterran ...

politician, former Mayor of Gibraltar and beauty queen who won

Miss World 2009 Miss World 2009, the 59th edition of the Miss World pageant, was held on 12 December 2009 at the Gallagher Convention Centre in Johannesburg, South Africa. 112 contestants from all over the world competed for the crown, marking the biggest tu ...

. From 2017 to 2019, she held the ceremonial position of

Mayor of Gibraltar The Mayor of Gibraltar is the ceremonial official of the British overseas territory of Gibraltar. The mayor is appointed by the elected Members of ParliamentMiss Gibraltar 2009, and later winning

Johannesburg Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu and xh, eGoli ), colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, or "The City of Gold", is the largest city in South Africa, classified as a megacity, and is one of the 100 largest urban areas in the world. According to Demo ...

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

. She was the first Gibraltarian woman ever to reach the semifinals of a major international pageant, and is the only to ever win one, as well.

Early life and career

Investidura Adolfo Canepa como nuevo alcalde (5)

Aldorino was born and raised in

Gibraltar ) , anthem = " God Save the King" , song = " Gibraltar Anthem" , image_map = Gibraltar location in Europe.svg , map_alt = Location of Gibraltar in Europe , map_caption = United Kingdom shown in pale green , mapsize = , image_map2 = Gib ...

. Prior to becoming Miss Gibraltar 2009, she had been working as a

human resources Human resources (HR) is the set of people who make up the workforce of an organization, business sector, industry, or economy. A narrower concept is human capital, the knowledge and skills which the individuals command. Similar terms include m ...

clerk A clerk is a white-collar worker who conducts general office tasks, or a worker who performs similar sales-related tasks in a retail environment. The responsibilities of clerical workers commonly include record keeping, filing, staffing service ...

St Bernard's Hospital St Bernard's Hospital is the only civilian general hospital in the British overseas territory of Gibraltar. History Juan Mateos In 1567, during Gibraltar's Spanish period, a retired Spanish innkeeper by the name of Juan Mateos converted his ...

for five years. Aldorino was raised

bilingual Multilingualism is the use of more than one language, either by an individual speaker or by a group of speakers. It is believed that multilingual speakers outnumber monolingual speakers in the world's population. More than half of all E ...

ly, speaking both

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

and

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...

, like most Gibraltarians.Miss World Profile
Aldorino began dancing at the age of 14, with Urban Dance Group. She participated at the 2008 International Dance Organization World Showdance Championships, in

Riesa Riesa is a town in the district of Meißen in Saxony, Germany. It is located on the river Elbe, approximately northwest of Dresden. History The name ''Riesa'' is derived from Slavic ''Riezowe''. This name, romanised as "Rezoa", appears first i ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

, where she represented Gibraltar in the Formation category as part of the Gibraltar National Dance Team. They placed 17th, and made history by being the first Gibraltarian formation team to pass the first round. Aldorino married fellow Gibraltarian Aaron Lopez in June 2015. They have one daughter, born in 2016.

Pageants

Miss Gibraltar 2009

On 27 June 2009, Aldorino was crowned Miss Gibraltar 2009, succeeding

Krystle Robba Miss Gibraltar is a national beauty pageant in Gibraltar. History The first Miss Gibraltar pageant was held in 1959, however, it did not resume until 1964. The winner represents her nation at Miss World annually. Miss Universe The winners o ...

at the Alameda Open Air Theatre.

Miss World 2009

Aldorino made history on 12 December 2009, by becoming the first ever Miss Gibraltar to be crowned Miss World. She was also the first Gibraltarian contestant to have reached the semifinals of one of the major international pageants after receiving the title of

Miss World Beach Beauty Miss World is the oldest existing international beauty pageant. It was created in the United Kingdom by Eric Morley in 1951. Since his death in 2000, Morley's widow, Julia Morley, has co-chaired the pageant. Along with Miss Universe, Miss Int ...

. Shortly after Aldorino was crowned by her predecessor,

Ksenia Sukhinova Ksenia Vladimirovna Sukhinova (russian: Ксе́ния Влади́мировна Сухи́нова; born 26 August 1987) is a Russian model, television host and beauty queen who was crowned Miss World 2008. She was the second Russian woman to ...

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...

, Gibraltar burst into celebration as many Gibraltarians took to the streets. Supporters waved the

flag of Gibraltar The flag of Gibraltar is an elongated banner of arms based on the coat of arms of Gibraltar, granted by Royal Warrant from Queen Isabella I of Castile on 10 July 1502. The flag of Gibraltar is unique as it is the only British Overseas Territory ...

, chanted as cars honked their horns, and

fireworks Fireworks are a class of Explosive, low explosive Pyrotechnics, pyrotechnic devices used for aesthetic and entertainment purposes. They are most commonly used in fireworks displays (also called a fireworks show or pyrotechnics), combining a l ...

were set off.

Chief Minister of Gibraltar The chief minister of Gibraltar is the head of His Majesty's Government of Gibraltar who is elected by the Gibraltar Parliament, and formally appointed by the governor of Gibraltar, representative of the British monarch. The incumbent chief ...

Peter Caruana Sir Peter Richard Caruana, (born 15 October 1956) is a Gibraltarian former politician who served as Chief Minister of Gibraltar from 1996 to 2011 and Leader of the Gibraltar Social Democrats (GSD) from 1991 to 2013. Caruana is a barrister by pr ...

hailed her win as a "wonderful achievement for her and for Gibraltar" and promised a "homecoming fit for a queen". In 2010, she was guest judge in the final

Mister World 2010 Mister World 2010 was the 6th edition of the Mister World competition. It was held at Songdo Convensia in Incheon, South Korea on March 27, 2010. 74 delegates competed from all around the world. Juan García Postigo of Spain crowned Kamal Ibrah ...

beauty pageant in

Incheon Incheon (; ; or Inch'ŏn; literally "kind river"), formerly Jemulpo or Chemulp'o (제물포) until the period after 1910, officially the Incheon Metropolitan City (인천광역시, 仁川廣域市), is a city located in northwestern South Kore ...

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...

. During her reign, Lopez traveled to over 40 countries. Some of these countries include:

United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia (The Middle East). It is located at th ...

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

Brunei Brunei ( , ), formally Brunei Darussalam ( ms, Negara Brunei Darussalam, Jawi alphabet, Jawi: , ), is a country located on the north coast of the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. Apart from its South China Sea coast, it is completely sur ...

Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

Korea Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

, and

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

Homecoming

On 15 December 2009,

HM Government of Gibraltar His Majesty's Government of Gibraltar is the democracy, democratically elected government of the British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar. The head of state is King Charles III who is represented by the Governor of ...

announced Aldorino would be flown into Gibraltar from

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

on a private jet the following afternoon. On 16 December 2009, the government issued a press release in which it detailed the events that would take place upon Aldorino's arrival. These included a public greeting at

Gibraltar Airport Gibraltar International Airport or North Front Airport is the civilian airport that serves the British overseas territories, British overseas territory of Gibraltar. The runway is owned by the Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom), Ministry of ...

, a parade through Main Street where Aldorino would ride in the same convertible car as

Diana, Princess of Wales Diana, Princess of Wales (born Diana Frances Spencer; 1 July 1961 – 31 August 1997) was a member of the British royal family. She was the first wife of King Charles III (then Prince of Wales) and mother of Princes William and Harry. Her ac ...

and

Prince Charles Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. He was the longest-serving heir apparent and Prince of Wales and, at age 73, became the oldest person to ...

during their honeymoon visit to Gibraltar. On 17 December 2009, Aldorino paraded down Main Street preceded by the band of the

Royal Gibraltar Regiment The Royal Gibraltar Regiment is part of British Forces Gibraltar for the British overseas territory of Gibraltar. It was formed in 1958 from the Gibraltar Defence Force as an infantry unit, with an integrated artillery troop. The regiment is ...

, and then appeared at the

City Hall In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or a municipal building (in the Philippines), is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses ...

balcony. This was followed by a press conference and reception at the

Rock Hotel The Rock Hotel, also known as Rock Hotel, is a historic hotel in the British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar. It has been described as "one of the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean's most famous hotels," and as "an ins ...

. The celebrations culminated with a fireworks display from

Gibraltar Harbour The Port of Gibraltar, also known as Gibraltar Harbour, is a seaport in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar. It was a strategically important location during the Napoleonic Wars and after 1869 served as a supply point for ships travelling ...

. The Government also requested all businesses in Gibraltar who were reasonably able to do so to close between 4pm and 6pm on this day to allow their staff to take part in the welcoming celebrations.

Political career

Mayor of Gibraltar

In March 2014, Aldorino was appointed deputy to the

Mayor of Gibraltar The Mayor of Gibraltar is the ceremonial official of the British overseas territory of Gibraltar. The mayor is appointed by the elected Members of Parliament Adolfo Canepa Adolfo John Canepa, CMG, OBE, GMH (born 17 December 1940) is a Gibraltarian politician. He has dedicated most of his life to politics and the development of Gibraltar, having served both as Leader of the Opposition and as Chief Minister of Gib ...

, as a result of a motion by the

Chief Minister A chief minister is an elected or appointed head of government of – in most instances – a sub-national entity, for instance an administrative subdivision or federal constituent entity. Examples include a state (and sometimes a union terri ...

Fabian Picardo Fabian Raymond Picardo (born 18 February 1972) is a Gibraltarians, Gibraltarian politician and barrister serving as Chief Minister of Gibraltar and Leader of the Gibraltar Socialist Labour Party since 2011 Gibraltar general election, 2011. At t ...

, passed by the Parliament. On 4 April 2017, she became the mayor of the territory. Among her first acts as mayor were opening a website and social media accounts for the position and creating photo albums for visitors of the Mayor's Office. In May 2018 she donated ten thousand dollars received from the

Miss World Organization Miss World is the oldest existing international beauty pageant. It was created in the United Kingdom by Eric Morley in 1951. Since his death in 2000, Morley's widow, Julia Morley, has co-chaired the pageant. Along with Miss Universe, Miss Inte ...

to the Rainbow Ward at

and St Martin's School. A "twinning ceremony" was held on 11 September 2018, between Gibraltar and

Jamaica Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...

, hosted by Aldorino and attended by Mayor of Kingston Delroy Williams. In February 2019 a delegation, including Aldorino,

Steven Linares The Hon. Steven Ernest Linares is a Gibraltarian teacher, trade unionist, barrister and politician affiliated to the Liberal Party of Gibraltar (LPG). He is an MP at the Gibraltar Parliament and as of December 2011 formed part of the Governm ...

, and Charles Azzopardi, to Jamaica, with the purpose of consolidating the "twinning agreement". During this visit Aldorino received the keys to the city of Kingston. She was succeeded in her role as mayor on April 4 2019 by John Gonçalves.

Awards

On 7 July 2011, Aldorino was the awarded with both the Freedom of the City of Gibraltar and the

Gibraltar Medallion of Honour The Gibraltar Medallion of Honour (GMH) is a civil award scheme established by the Government of the British overseas territory of Gibraltar. Its creation was announced in July 2008 by Chief Minister of Gibraltar, Peter Caruana. It ranks below t ...

by a unanimous vote in the

Gibraltar Parliament The Gibraltar Parliament is the legislature of the British overseas territory of Gibraltar. Between 1969 and 2006, it was called the Gibraltar House of Assembly. Functions The House of Assembly, set up under the 1969 constitution, was a uni ...

. The motion which was tabled by

recognised her: Aldorino became the first woman to receive the

Freedom of the City The Freedom of the City (or Borough in some parts of the UK) is an honour bestowed by a municipality upon a valued member of the community, or upon a visiting celebrity or dignitary. Arising from the medieval practice of granting respected ...

in Gibraltar.

References

External links

Official Miss Gibraltar pageant website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Aldorino, Kaiane 1986 births Gibraltarian beauty pageant winners Gibraltarian people of Italian descent Gibraltarian women in politics Living people Mayors of Gibraltar Miss Gibraltar winners Miss World 2009 delegates Miss World winners Beauty queen-politicians