The world is Mireia Lalaguna’s oyster…

The 22-year-old Spanish model was crowned Miss World on Saturday at the 65th edition of the beauty pageant, held in the Chinese city of Sanya.

Lalaguna, a Barcelona-native with a degree in pharmacology, outshined second-place Miss Russia, Sofia Nikitchuk, and Miss Indonesia, Maria Harfanti, who came in third.

For the first time ever Spain was victorious at the Miss World contest, which was launched in Britain and is considered the longest running beauty pageant on the planet, though another Spaniard, Amparo Muñoz, took home the Miss Universe title in 1974.

Lalaguna, with her blonde locks combed back on one side and wearing a stunning blue dress that bared her back, took her place on the queen’s throne where she was crowned by the winner of the 2014 contest, South Africa’s Rolene Strauss, with the glittering blue diadem she will wear over the coming year.

Lalaguna Catalan could not hide her shock, even from the time she made it into the finals ahead of big favorites like the beauties from France, Venezuela and the host country China.

Also among the five finalists were Miss Jamaica, Sanneta Myrie, and Miss Lebanon, Valerie Abou Chacra, while the Ecuadorian Maria Camila Marañon was the best classified Latin American after making it into the top 20.

The gala was held at the Beauty Crown Culture Center in Sanya, a complex outside the city with extravagant skyscrapers shaped like gigantic trees, a resort that has now hosted the pageant for the sixth time.