Beauty queen loses crown over baby scandal

Miss Bolivia has been dethroned after revealing her pregnancy news. Photo / Instagram

A 22-year-old beauty queen has been stripped of her crown after revealing she's pregnant.

Joyce Prado, who won Miss Bolivia Universe last year, has lost her title over a "breach of contract".

The pageant queen has been with her Paraguayan model boyfriend Rodrigo Giménez for four months, but it is against Miss Universe rules for winners to get pregnant or tie the knot while holding the title.

Ms Prado's modelling agency, Promociones Gloria, revealed on their Facebook page on Friday that her two crowns had been removed for "reasons that are strictly related to contractual breach".

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El milagro de la vida es indescriptible, más aún cuando se trata de la llegada de un nuevo integrante a la familia. Llegar a convertirse en Padre o Madre puede ser el desafío más importante que se nos presente en la vida, pero así como puede ser difícil, también puede llegar a ser lo más gratificante del mundo. Yo quiero compartir con ustedes que soy la mujer más feliz del mundo porque mi vida está llena de amor , por que junto al hombre de mis sueños estamos empezando a vivir la etapa más bonita de nuestras vidas : SER PAPÁS; Desde que supe que me convertiré en madre no dejo de imaginarme cómo se me verá con mi bebé en brazos , nunca imagine sentir una emoción tan grande de solo saber que de dentro de mi hay una semilla que crece día a día y lo único que le pido a Dios es que nazca sano y salvo que su papito @rodrigodanielpy y yo nos encargaremos de protegerlo y de entrenarle todo el amor que tenemos para darle ❤️ #happy #love #mam #baby #pregnancy #dulceespera #futuramama #mamafeliz

A post shared by Joyce Prado Ribera (@joyceprado97) on Apr 14, 2019 at 6:25am PDT

However the details around her sudden departure from her role wasn't revealed for "confidentiality reasons".

Now, Ms Prado has taken to Instagram to reveal her pregnancy, sharing a happy photo of her and Mr Giménez lovingly holding a tiny baby romper.

"Becoming a father or mother can be the most important challenge that we present in life, but while it may be difficult, it can also become the most rewarding thing in the world," Ms Prado wrote in the post.

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Me sentí muy contenta en mi entrevista del jurado, conversé sobre mi vida. Gracias a todos por sus oraciones ❤️💛💚 #MissUniverse2018 #MissUniverse #MissBoliviaUniverse2018

A post shared by Joyce Prado Ribera (@joyceprado97) on Dec 11, 2018 at 9:20pm PST

"I want to share with you that I am the happiest woman in the world because my life is full of love, because next to the man of my dreams we are starting to live the most beautiful stage of our lives."

But while Ms Prado appeared unfazed by the fact she had lost her crown, looking ahead to life as a mum, fans were not happy with the "stupid" rules.

Why the hell would you not be allowed to be pregnant, married or get married after being crowned? I’m not a feminist but those are some stupid rules. Why is she less worthy to be a beauty queen because of those things?? Beauty contests don’t do anything for me but that is unfair.

— Adnana Ababei (@AdnanaAbabei) April 15, 2019

According to Miss Universe guidelines, "contestants may not be married or pregnant." They also cannot have previously been married or parented a child. As for titleholders, they are "required to remain unmarried throughout their reign."

The contest began in 1952, but in recent years it has been embroiled in controversy over its outdated rules and objectification of women.