Queen Rania's Eveningwear Part 1: December 2003 - March 2007

[paulette]

22 DECEMBER 2003

The results are in and we've counted the ballots! Now we can reveal the winners of the HELLO! magazine reader survey to find 2003's Most Elegant Woman. Casting your minds back over a whole year's worth of stylish images, you narrowed down the original 32 candidates to the ten who took place in the final, and then the winner and runners-up.

Queen Rania of Jordan is the overall winner, with a convincing 32.3% of the votes. Next comes Wales’ own Hollywood leading lady, and close behind her in third place, fellow Oscar winner Nicole Kidman, followed by Friends star and girl-next-door beauty Jennifer Aniston.

Queen Rania of Jordan

“I am flattered – this was a very pleasant surprise,” said Queen Rania on hearing she’d been elected HELLO!’s Most Elegant Woman of 2003. “It’s always rewarding to receive acknowledgment along the way. It was certainly a breath of fresh air,” added the hard-working mother-of-three.

For allure and glamour, there are few other royal ladies who can quite match 33-year-old Rania. She never fails to look exquisite, whether she's attending a state banquet in traditional Arab costume or hosting her son's eighth birthday party in a pair of well-cut, trendy jeans.

Of course it helps that she has a perfect heart-shaped face and huge, expressive eyes. She also keeps herself in great shape by jogging most days. But it's more than just her looks: tireless charity worker Rania also projects serenity and confidence, and carries off a fusion of Arab and Western style with enviable poise.

Favourite designers include Elie Saab and Giorgio Armani, who when opening an exhibition of his work in London recently had this to say about her: “Rania's beautiful, she has the body of a model and holds herself like the queen she is – what more could you want?”.