Laurence Langen won Miss Belgium 2014

19-year-old Laurence Langen from Genk (Limburg) has won the annual Miss Belgian contest. In the Plopsa Theatre in Adinkerke (De Panne), she received her crown from her predecessor, Noémie Happart. Anissa Blondin (21) and Laura Charlier (23) clinched the title of First and Second Lady of Honour respectively.

Miss Belgium 2014, Laurence Langen poses the day after she won the Miss Belgium 2014 beauty contest, in De Panne.

Contrary to the Miss Belgian Beauty contest, Miss Belgium does not only focus on beauty and looks. Candidates should prove they have more to offer, and are also tested on personality, general knowledge and language skills.

Laurence Langen hails from Genk and is presently in her second year of Law studies in Brussels. Her hobbies are horse riding, skiing and classical ballet. She is 1.77 metres tall, and was one of the tallest candidates. Although she was surprised she won it, Langen had started as the hot favourite.

"I want to engage in a good cause during the coming year and become a good ambassador for our country", Langen explained. "It may sound like a cliché, but it's like in a dream. I had a lot of stress, but I kept breathing." She also wants to improve her French language skills. "My French is not too bad due to my studies, but I am not perfectly bilingual."