Miss France Univers or Miss Univers France () is a title that has been officially and unofficially conferred upon French representatives to Miss Universe since 1952. The franchise license holder to crown Miss France for the Miss Universe contest has varied throughout the years.
The most recent Miss France Univers is Ève Gilles of Nord-Pas-de-Calais, who was crowned Miss France Univers 2025 on August 27, 2025.
History The early years of the title (and exceptionally afterwards), the ladies representing France at Miss Universe were not from the Miss France Committee and held the title of Miss Cinémonde (named after the French film magazine), most of them were actresses before or after their election. Claude Godard was the very first French woman to compete in Miss Universe at the first edition of the competition in 1952.
Initially, only the young woman holding the title of Miss France obtained the right to compete in Miss Europe and the two main international beauty pageants, namely Miss Universe and Miss World. However, following an internal decision by the Miss France organization, or due to scheduling conflicts between the two events, it is common and permitted for the runners-up of Miss France to participate in one of the two world pageants or Miss Europe. In 1963, Monique Lemaire was the first Miss Universe participant from the Miss France Committee/Miss France Company (then chaired by Louis Poirot/Louis de Fontenay, Geneviève de Fontenay's partner). Marie-Thérèse Tullio, 2nd Runner-Up of Miss France 1965, was the very first runner-up in a national pageant to represent the country at Miss Universe in 1965.
In 1986, while Valérie Pascale was Miss France, Catherine Carew was Miss Overseas at Miss France for that year and was appointed to represent France at Miss Universe and Miss World that year in place of Pascale. A similar decision happened the previous year, with the Miss Overseas at that Miss France contest with Nathalie Jones representing France at Miss World 1985. On May 11, 2001, Élodie Gossuin placed in the top 10 of the Miss Universe 2001 pageant in Bayamón, Puerto Rico, despite rumors questioning whether or not she was actually a woman, which turned out to be false when it was determined that she was actually a woman.
The official sash and title of Miss France Univers/Miss Univers France (Miss France Universe/Miss Universe France) first appeared in 2003 at the initiative of Michel Leparmentier, member and organizer of the historic Miss France Committee (also referred to as the Miss France Committee of Paris), with the appointing of Emmanuelle Chossat as representative for France at Miss Universe 2003. Before then, the titleholders were mostly referred to as "Miss France" even if they had never won Miss France or participated in the pageant and had won a pageant/title from a competing organization and/or separate pageant. In 2003, one young woman was therefore elected by the historic Miss France Committee (Miss France Committee of Paris) founded in 1954. After the 2003 edition of Miss Universe, the Miss France Committee of Geneviève de Fontenay (also referred to as the Miss France Company or the Miss France Organization) regained the license franchise after de Fontenay sold the pageant to Endemol France, which later became Endemol Shine France and is now Banijay France (the French branch of the Dutch television production company Endemol, later Endemol Shine, now Banijay), after outbidding the historic Miss France Committee of Paris for the Miss Universe license and has been the main license holder/franchise owner since.
Two Miss France and Miss Universe France winners were national directors of the Miss France Company: Sylvie Tellier from 2007 to 2022 and Cindy Fabre from 2022 to 2025. Sylvie Tellier also served as a French translator and commentator several times on the Miss Universe election for the French airing of the pageant on Paris Première and Cindy Fabre also held the titles of Miss France Monde and Miss France Europe.
On May 28, 2026, the Miss France Company, on behalf of its president Frédéric Gilbert, announced via a press release its withdrawal from the Miss Universe contest, following the controversies that occurred during the 2025 edition and the questionable outcome of the contest. The last French woman representing France from an external committee was Emmanuelle Chossat, in 2003. Due to the withdrawal of the Miss France Company, the Miss Universe Organization announced that it will directly organize a selection process to choose France's representative for Miss Universe 2026 with Miss Univers France 2026.
France has sent the following to the Miss Universe competition: 58 candidates from the Miss France contest by the Miss France Company (1963, 1965-1967, 1971-2002, 2004-2025) 16 from an external committee (1952-1962, 1964, 1968-1970, 2003) 1 from the Miss Universe Organization (2026)
France and Canada are the only countries to have participated in every edition of Miss Universe. The United States, the home country of the pageant and its headquarters, only missed out on this feat due to the disqualification of Miss USA 1957 at Miss Universe 1957.
To date, two French women have won the Miss Universe crown: Christiane Martel, Miss Universe 1953 Iris Mittenaere, Miss Universe 2016.
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