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Add: date, title. Changed bare reference to CS1/2. | Use this bot. Report bugs. | Suggested by BrownHairedGirl | Linked from User:BrownHairedGirl/Articles_with_bare_links | #UCB_webform_linked 54/2197
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| caption =
| caption =
| birth_name = Wilnelia Merced Cruz
| birth_name = Wilnelia Merced Cruz
| title = [[Caguas, Puerto Rico|Miss Caguas Mundo 1975]] <br> [[Miss World Puerto Rico|Miss Mundo de Puerto Rico 1975]] <br> [[Miss World 1975]]
| title = [[Caguas, Puerto Rico|Miss Caguas Mundo 1975]]<br />[[Miss World Puerto Rico|Miss Mundo de Puerto Rico 1975]]<br />[[Miss World 1975]]
| competitions = [[Miss World Puerto Rico|Miss Mundo de Puerto Rico 1975]]<br/>(Winner)<br/>[[Miss World 1975]]<br/>(Winner)<br/>(Miss World Americas)
| competitions = [[Miss World Puerto Rico|Miss Mundo de Puerto Rico 1975]]<br />(Winner)<br/>[[Miss World 1975]]<br/>(Winner)<br/>(Miss World Americas)
| birth_date= {{Birth date and age|1957|10|12|df=y}}
| birth_date= {{Birth date and age|1957|10|12|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Caguas, Puerto Rico|Caguas]], Puerto Rico
| birth_place = [[Caguas, Puerto Rico|Caguas]], Puerto Rico
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Born in [[Caguas, Puerto Rico]], she won [[Miss Puerto Rico|Miss Mundo de Puerto Rico 1975]] and went on to win [[Miss World 1975]] at the [[Royal Albert Hall]] in [[London]]. She remained the only Puerto Rican to win the title until [[Stephanie Del Valle]] won [[Miss World 2016]] after serving as a judge for the pageant. She travelled widely during 1975 and was invited to [[El Salvador]] by the Salvadorean military government before the civil war. Wilnelia fell in love with [[England]], a place she would later call home.
Born in [[Caguas, Puerto Rico]], she won [[Miss Puerto Rico|Miss Mundo de Puerto Rico 1975]] and went on to win [[Miss World 1975]] at the [[Royal Albert Hall]] in [[London]]. She remained the only Puerto Rican to win the title until [[Stephanie Del Valle]] won [[Miss World 2016]] after serving as a judge for the pageant. She travelled widely during 1975 and was invited to [[El Salvador]] by the Salvadorean military government before the civil war. Wilnelia fell in love with [[England]], a place she would later call home.


After passing on her crown in 1976, she was signed by [[Ford Modeling Agency|Ford Models]] in [[New York City]]. In 1978, a giant poster of Wilnelia Merced was displayed in [[Times Square]]. She was introduced to British television entertainer [[Bruce Forsyth]] at the 1980 Miss World competition gala in [[London]]. While still a public figure at home in Puerto Rico, she retired from modelling after her marriage to Forsyth in 1983.
After passing on her crown in 1976, she was signed by [[Ford Models]] in [[New York City]]. In 1978, a giant poster of Wilnelia Merced was displayed in [[Times Square]]. She was introduced to British television entertainer [[Bruce Forsyth]] at the 1980 Miss World competition gala in [[London]]. While still a public figure at home in Puerto Rico, she retired from modelling after her marriage to Forsyth in 1983.


==Personal life==
==Personal life==
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*[[List of Puerto Ricans]]
*[[List of Puerto Ricans]]
*[[History of women in Puerto Rico]]
*[[History of women in Puerto Rico]]
⚫
{{Clear}}

⚫
{{clr}}


==References==
==References==
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==External links==
==External links==
*{{imdb name|id=1524206|name=Wilnelia Merced}}
*{{IMDb name|id=1524206|name=Wilnelia Merced}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/19990220005144/http://www.geocities.com/TelevisionCity/9699/mcmw75.htm Further information about 1975 contest]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/19990220005144/http://www.geocities.com/TelevisionCity/9699/mcmw75.htm Further information about 1975 contest]


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{{Miss World titleholders}}
{{Miss World titleholders}}
{{Miss World 1975 delegates}}
{{Miss World 1975 delegates}}
{{Miss Puerto Rico winners in the Grand Slam pageants}}
{{Miss Puerto Rico winners in the Big Four pageants}}
{{Big Four Pageants titleholders
{{Big Four Pageants titleholders
|Year = 1975
|Year = 1975
|Miss World = {{flagicon|PRI}} '''Wilnelia Merced'''
|Miss World = {{flagicon|Puerto Rico}} '''Wilnelia Merced'''
|Miss Universe = {{flagicon|FIN}} [[Anne Marie Pohtamo]]
|Miss Universe = {{flagicon|Finland}} [[Anne Marie Pohtamo]]
|Miss International = {{flagicon|YUG}} [[Lidija Manić]]
|Miss International = {{flagicon|Yugoslavia}} [[Lidija Manić]]
}}
}}
{{authority control}}
{{authority control}}

Revision as of 04:40, 4 June 2022

Wilnelia, Lady Forsyth-Johnson
Born
Wilnelia Merced Cruz

(1957-10-12) 12 October 1957 (age 67)
Caguas, Puerto Rico
Occupations
  • actress
  • model
  • beauty queen
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1983; died 2017)​
Children1
Beauty pageant titleholder
TitleMiss Caguas Mundo 1975
Miss Mundo de Puerto Rico 1975
Miss World 1975
Hair colorBrown
Eye colorBrown
Major
competition(s)		Miss Mundo de Puerto Rico 1975
(Winner)
Miss World 1975
(Winner)
(Miss World Americas)

Wilnelia, Lady Forsyth-Johnson (née Merced; born 12 October 1957) is a Puerto Rican former actress, model and beauty queen. She won Miss World 1975, and was married to entertainer Sir Bruce Forsyth from 1983 until his death in August 2017.

Career

Born in Caguas, Puerto Rico, she won Miss Mundo de Puerto Rico 1975 and went on to win Miss World 1975 at the Royal Albert Hall in London. She remained the only Puerto Rican to win the title until Stephanie Del Valle won Miss World 2016 after serving as a judge for the pageant. She travelled widely during 1975 and was invited to El Salvador by the Salvadorean military government before the civil war. Wilnelia fell in love with England, a place she would later call home.

After passing on her crown in 1976, she was signed by Ford Models in New York City. In 1978, a giant poster of Wilnelia Merced was displayed in Times Square. She was introduced to British television entertainer Bruce Forsyth at the 1980 Miss World competition gala in London. While still a public figure at home in Puerto Rico, she retired from modelling after her marriage to Forsyth in 1983.

Personal life

Merced married Bruce Forsyth at a ceremony in New York in 1983. The couple's son Jonathan Joseph "JJ" was born in 1987. She remained married to Forsyth until his death in August 2017. She now lives with her son near the Wentworth Estate in Surrey, England.

On 29 January 2018, for the first time ever, Merced spoke openly about the final days she spent with her husband before his death. She expressed her appreciation of being able to be with him at the last moment. She felt "lucky" that all the close family members managed to say goodbye at his deathbed. Merced recalled that Forsyth was surrounded by all his daughters, who kept him accompanied and watched films together. Merced said that Forsyth had wished to celebrate his hundredth birthday at the London Palladium.[1]

A portrait of Merced is displayed in the Fundación Nacional para la Cultura Popular, with others, in their "Women with their own style" exhibit.[2]

See also

References

  1. ^ Natasha Sporn,"'We were able to say our goodbyes': Sir Bruce Forsyth's widow Lady Wilnelia Merced reveals emotional last moments of his life",Evening Standard,29 January 2018
  2. ^ "Rita Moreno honró a la Fundación". 4 October 2015.
Awards and achievements
Preceded by Miss World
1975 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
Loyda Eunice Valle Blas Machado
 Miss Mundo de Puerto Rico
1975 		Succeeded by
Ivette Rosado
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=Wilnelia_Merced&oldid=1091413420"