The 21-year-old Miss decided to return the crown, withdraw from Miss International 2026

The international beauty fan community has just been stirred by the news that the beauty Emily Smith announced that she was giving up the title of representing Guam at the Miss International 2026 contest.

In the sharing post, Emily Smith said that she had an exchange with the Miss International organizers about continuing her journey to compete with the title of Miss International Guam. According to her, the organizers of the pageant advised her to continue representing the island. However, after thinking carefully and reading the feedback from the online community, the beauty decided not to continue.

"After a conversation with the Miss International organization, I was advised to continue my journey. However, I cannot continue this journey because my conscience does not allow me to participate in the Miss International pageant," Emily Smith wrote.

According to the beauty's sharing, the reason for this decision stemmed from the issue of identity and personal origin. Emily Smith is of Welsh and Japanese descent. Initially, she hoped to represent Wales – where she has deep family ties.

The beauty said she even prepared plans to go to Wales to shoot a video for the contest as well as build ideas for the national costume. However, just two days after preparing the plan, she received notice that she would not be able to represent Wales because the region was not recognised as a separate territory in the competition's current system.

Instead, she was awarded the title of Miss International Guam and became the island's representative at Miss International 2026 held in Japan.

Initially, Emily Smith accepted the title and began planning to learn about Guam. She plans to travel to the island in May to participate in volunteer activities, learn about local culture, and meet with officials and residents.

However, after thinking more closely, the beauty realized that she had no real connection to Guam. "The title is not something to be received just because it is available. It represents real people, real heritage and real pride," she shared.

Emily Smith also apologized to the people of Guam if her wearing the title of Miss International Guam made them feel uncomfortable. According to her, the decision to give up the title is a way of showing respect for the culture and people here.

"So I want to give up this title to honor the people of Guam, their heritage and their lived experiences," she added.

Emily Smith was awarded the title of Miss International Guam in February of this year. She was born in Okayama (Japan) and grew up in England. Growing up between the two cultures has helped her gain a diverse perspective and connect with many different communities around the world.

Not only possessing outstanding beauty, Emily Smith also impresses with her academic achievements. She graduated with a bachelor's degree in Communications from the University of Hawaii and completed her master's degree in Communications Management from the University of Southern California at the age of 21.

Currently, she is the founder of Elevated Pageant Coaching – a training platform that helps women develop confidence, leadership skills, and prepare for beauty pageants.

After the information was announced, many beauty fans expressed their support for Emily Smith's decision. According to them, a miss should represent the country or territory with which she has cultural, family or life experience connections.

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