When Virginia Fuerst walked onto the stage of Miss Europe in 2024, she carried with her more than an evening gown and rehearsed smile. She carried a lifetime of experience — from beginning her modelling career as a child for international brands such as H&M, to growing up between Monaco and London, to later studying in Monaco, where she was surrounded by the contrasting worlds of glamour and ambition. Just a few months earlier, she had also been crowned Miss United Kingdom, a title that propelled her onto the European stage.
“Pageants seem like the ultimate fantasy,” she reflects. “But the truth is, they’re far closer to real life than people realise. The same pressures, the same expectations women face in daily life are just magnified under the spotlight.”
For Fuerst, the competition highlighted how beauty standards intersect with identity in modern society. Behind the glittering stage and crown lies a world defined by discipline, scrutiny, and constant comparison. She explains that it isn’t simply about looking beautiful, but about carrying yourself with poise, intelligence, and resilience while knowing that every move is being judged.
“What struck me most was how similar it felt to the realities women face in everyday life,” she says. “Whether you’re in an office, in front of a camera, or building your future, you’re constantly balancing who you truly are with what society wants you to be. It’s a paradox — and pageants put that paradox on display for the whole world to see.”
Those lessons, rather than fading once the competition ended, became foundations she later drew upon in her business career. Today, Fuerst leads one of the most recognised marketing teams in her industry, a team that has been shortlisted for Best Marketing Team 2025. She credits her pageant background for the resilience and consistency she applies in the business world: the ability to perform under pressure, to block out criticism, and to stay focused on long-term goals.
Looking back, she sees her Miss Europe experience less as a beauty contest and more as a reflection of the journey many women go through in shaping their identity. “I think the new generation of women is rejecting the idea that success looks one way,” she says. “It’s not just about a crown or a title, just as it’s not only about a job title or a social media following. It’s about defining success on your own terms — whether that’s in business, in art, or even on a pageant stage.”
For Fuerst, that’s the real legacy of Miss Europe: not the gowns or the spotlight, but the courage to carry those lessons into every chapter of her life. “When I think back to that moment on stage, I don’t remember the lights,” she smiles. “I remember the feeling that I could be whoever I wanted to be — and that’s the part I’ve carried with me ever since.”
