She is Gladys Zender, the first Latina who won Miss Universe as a minor, fell in love with King Juan Carlos and is the mother of a famous Peruvian actor.

Gladys Zender was a pioneer Latina at Miss Universe, the most prestigious beauty pageant in the world. In 1957, at just 17 years old, she was crowned the most beautiful woman on the planet in Long Beach, California, United States.

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His triumph caused confusion due to his youth and it had to be clarified that he was considered of age in Peru because he was more than six months older than his date of birth, according to the Mag El Comercia section.

The Life of Gladys Zender

Gladys was born on October 19, 1939, as the daughter of Swiss architect Eduard Zender Honigman and Peruvian Rosa Urbina Di Negro, of Italian origin.

In her youth, the Peruvian woman shone not only with her beauty, but also with her elegance and kindness.

Before she married the politician and economist Antoni Meier in 1965, with whom she had four children, among them a famous singer and actor Christian Meierhe had a close relationship with Spain’s then-Prince Juan Carlos I, who visited Peru in 1958, notes La República.

She herself admitted, years later, that she met the monarch during a dinner offered in his honor, when he arrived in Lima on the training ship Juan Sebastián Elcano.

“I was lucky enough to be the official couple accompanying the then Prince Juan Carlos to that dinner. During the days when he was in Lima, numerous events were organized and I was always invited to accompany him,” she said in 2014 in an interview that was reported by the aforementioned media.

Although the romance between them has never been confirmed, it is rumored that there was great chemistry and mutual admiration.

“King Juan Carlos and I have established a wonderful friendship. When he became king, he visited Lima several times and together with my husband Antonio we saw him every time he came. We had the opportunity to talk with him many times and reminisce about old times. The last time I saw him was in 2008, during the summit of Latin America, the Caribbean and the European Union, when my husband was already the mayor of San Isidro, the financial district of Lima, said the beauty queen in an interview quoted by Trade.

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The former Miss Universe is 84 years old today and lives a quiet and discreet life, away from the spotlight. La República points out that she is still happily married to Antonio Meier, with whom she celebrated her golden anniversary.

For his part, the leading man of productions such as “La Tormenta”, “El Zorro: la sangre y la rosa” and “Doña Bárbara” usually shares photos of his mother on his social networks during special moments such as trips, dates or memories when he was a child. (AND)