Ex Miss World Anneline Kriel supports White Cross project

Former Miss World Anneline Kriel has voiced her support for the White Cross project display in Washington, as undertaken by Ernst Roets’s advocacy group, Lex Libertas.

The temporary display was erected this week to highlight the “genocide” of white farmers in South Africa.

It featured 3000 white crosses, each one reportedly representing a victim.

FORMER MISS WORLD ANNELINE KRIEL SUPPORTS WHITE CROSS PROJECT

On her Facebook account, Anneline Kriel shared her support for Erns Roets’s White Cross Project, which was erected in front of the Washington Monument.

Anneline, who was crowned Miss World in 1974, reposted several videos of the project, sparking backlash among South Africans.

She posted: “We would like to express our sincere gratitude to everyone involved in this initiative in Washington, DC, for raising awareness of the victims of farm attacks in South Africa.

“The planting of 3,000 crosses at the Washington Monument is a powerful gesture of remembrance, honouring those who have lost their lives and bringing attention to a cause that deserves to be heard.

She continued: “Thank you for standing up, raising awareness and ensuring that these lives are not forgotten. Every life matters. Every victim deserves to be remembered”.

In 2017, Anneline Kriel spoke about being a victim of a farm attack. She claimed that a young woman, who had befriended her stepdaughter, had been murdered on a farm in Stellenbosch.

“I will continue to fight this injustice”, Anneline posted on her platform last year.

In 2017, I stood against farm murders in South Africa. This was a turning point in my activism, and I remember feeling frustrated that such a tragedy was happening in our country. Even now, I continue to fight against this injustice. pic.twitter.com/itsy9dmxqJ

— Anneline Kriel | Miss World 1974 Official (@MissWorld1974) May 27, 2025

APARTHEID BEAUTY QUEEN

Anneline Kriel was crowned Miss World in 1974, representing South Africa under the Miss South Africa banner.

During Apartheid, the Miss SA competition was restricted to white women, and a separate competition, Miss Africa South, was held to select a black South African representative for international pageants. 

As a result, South Africa had two women at Miss World: Anneline Kriel and coloured beauty queen, Evelyn Peggy Williams, the latter of whom finished in the Top 15.

Interestingly, Anneline was initially named the first princess at Miss World, held at the Royal Albert Hall in London.

However, just four days later, she assumed the crown after Welsh winner Helen Morgan was disqualified for being an unwed mother.

Anneline Kriel’s reign was not without controversy. At the time, South Africa was under international sanctions imposed during the Apartheid era.

According to The Times, the US and Australia refused to accept her on the obligatory world tour, while other nations protested that they could not guarantee her safety.

Anneline Kriel claimed that she was coached to avoid talking about politics back home and admitted to living a sheltered life under a censored press.

She said: “I was 19. I was very innocent. When I finally went to America, they asked me on TV if I thought everyone in my country was happy. I said yes, I did think everyone was happy. Because I did think that.”

Anneline went on to become a successful actress and model after her reign.  

She now lives in Mauritius with her two daughters and third husband, Peter Bacon.