Antigua and Barbuda is celebrating another regional pageant success after Milove Fontaine was crowned Miss Elegantly Plus Caribbean Queen 2026 in Tortola, British Virgin Islands.

Fontaine claimed the coveted title on Sunday night during the Miss Elegantly Plus Caribbean Queen Pageant, held at the Eileene L. Parsons Auditorium at H. Lavity Stoutt Community College. Her victory came after an impressive performance that saw her dominate several of the competition’s major categories.

In addition to taking home the crown, Fontaine won four judged segments, Top Model 2026, Best Evening Wear, Best On-Stage Interview, and Best Ambassadorial Presentation. She also captured the People’s Choice Award, an unjudged title decided by public voting.

Speaking exclusively to Antigua.News after her victory, Fontaine said the emotions of the moment were almost impossible to describe.

“I was so elated when I heard the segments that I was winning. Something about that just had me very speechless. I was just standing there, and when it was time to crown the queen, in my head I’m like, ‘Yeah, Milove, you won.’ But when it was said, I had an overwhelming feeling. I wanted to scream, I wanted to cry, I wanted to smile, I wanted to laugh. I just stood there, smiling, just embracing the moment. It was a wonderful feeling.”

She also expressed heartfelt gratitude to the people of Antigua and Barbuda for helping her secure the People’s Choice title through their votes.

The regional competition featured contestants from Antigua and Barbuda, the British Virgin Islands and the United States Virgin Islands. Fontaine faced off against home representative Krystle Maduro and Jah’Millia Maloney of the US Virgin Islands, who earned the Resort Wear and Tourism Reel awards.

Fontaine’s triumph adds another significant achievement to an already impressive pageant career. She previously won the Miss Charisma 2020 title and now returns home with one of the Caribbean’s top plus-size pageant crowns.

Her performance throughout the competition reflected the pageant’s theme of celebrating confidence, beauty and empowerment, with Fontaine impressing judges through her elegance, communication skills and ambassadorial qualities.