Miss World 2011: 15 Top Contestants (PHOTOS)

The 2011 Miss World pageant will be held in London, with the finals scheduled to take place on Sunday.

The current Miss World, Alexandria Mills of the United States, will crown her successor.

London, in fact, was where it all began. The city played host to the inaugural edition of the pageant in 1951. The winner then was Sweden's Kiki Haakanson, who beat contestants from 25 countries to become the first Miss World. This year a record 120 countries are contesting and the participants will stay at the Marriott London County Hall, on the banks of the Thames and opposite the Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament.

Check out the creme de la creme of the lot.