Kathlyn Archibald-Drew was crowned Miss British Virgin Islands 2021 during a highly-anticipated live coronation held on Sunday October 17th.
The day after the event, Kathlyn took to Facebook to express her deep appreciation for the journey.
“Words cannot begin to describe how shocked yet elated I felt being crowned Miss British Virgin Islands last evening. Thank you to all my sponsors and supporters for everything you have done funding and encouraging me throughout this experience. Thank you to my family and friends for your overwhelming love and support on a daily basis.”
“My BVI this is not just about the crown but about taking us to higher heights where we can preserve and share our rich history and prosperous culture. Our work begins,” she added in high spirits
An intellectual front-runner from the beginning of this pursuit, this stunning loc’d beauty entered Sunday night’s competition with an edge over the other contestants after securing the top score for the “Personal Interview” segment held on October 7th. Archibald-Drew later copped the Miss Intellect accolade
The newly crowed queen at will receive a $3,000 cash prize, a $25,000 educational grant, a brand new 2021 Honda CRV, a weekend villa getaway courtesy of Sotherby’s, a photoshoot from John Black Studio, spa treatment from Driftwood spa, a formal gown compliments of the Dressing Room, a Kippling luggage set, a cellphone with free service compliments of CCT and an article in VI’s Life & Style Magazine.
Coming in close was contestant at 1st runner up was Jareena Penn arosed a crowd favorite throughout the journey.
In a recent post to the public Jareena said “Thank you for embracing me. Thank you for raising your voices in solidarity against rape. Thank you for being a beacon of hope. Thank you for the moral, emotional and financial support. I am committed to representing our beautiful territory and restoring what it means to be woman and girl in these Virgin Islands.”
Jareena won a significant amount of categories inclusive of Best Sell BVI Promotion, Best Swimwear, Best Evening Wear, Best Introduction, Most Poised and Miss Popularity which allowed residents to vote for this favorite contestant leading up to the grand event.
Her prizes include a $2,000 cash prize, dinner for two at Wyndham Resort, a photoshoot from Wireless Photography, a $100 gift certificate from True Nail Bar an a runner up crystal award.
Also outstanding was pageant veteran Sylvanna Charles whose well-executed “Sell BVI” entry captivated the crowd’s attention.
Sylvanna’s prizes include $1,500 cash, a one-night stay at Sebastian’s by the Sea, dinner for two at Indigo House, a photoshoot courtesy of Wireless Photography and a runner up crystal award.
The other contenders included Reba Smith who was awarded Best Cultural Dress, Chenae Walters who was voted Miss Congeniality and Keyona Cameron who secured the Miss Photogenic award.
The newly appointed chairman Natalie Hodge and team were highly applauded for their innovation in offering a hybrid opportunity to view the pageant in person or virtually.
Chairman Hodge said “I think the girls did extremely well and my committee and I applaud them for their courage and perseverance despite the many challenges faced. As a new committee we are pleased with the execution of the pageant. Of course as with anything you do there are always areas you can identify for improvement and we will strive to improve those areas.”
“Lastly, a heartfelt Thank You to the committee members for their dedication and hard work on the execution of the pageant. Special thanks is extended to the Virgin Islands Festivals and Fairs Committee along with Mrs. Luce Hodge-Smith for their continued support throughout our journey. We look forward to supporting Kathlyn Archibald-Drew during her reign,” she added.
With physical seats being sold out early, the committee quickly improvised to offer watch parties at the Hangover Bar, Pier 1 Cocktail Bar, Coconut Lounge and Bamboushay.
Residents also had the option to watch the Miss British Virgin Islands Pageant via Pay-Per-View for a fee of $20.
Ms Hodge expressed that the committee was pleased to be able to accommodate persons from the USVI, neighboring Caribbean Islands, US mainland and UK via our Pay-Per-View platform.
Predecessor Queen Bria Smith made history by being the first reign for two consecutive years.