Transgender woman Rikkie Valerie Kollé won the Miss Netherlands title on Saturday, 8 July, at the AFAS Theater in Leusden.
"I DID IT!!!!!" Kollé wrote in an Instagram post after she was crowned. She will represent her country in the Miss Universe pageant this year, making her the second transgender woman to participate in the prestigious pageant.
"It's unreal but I get to call myself @missnederland 2023… I'm so proud and happy I can't even describe it. Making my community proud and showing it can be done," she said in her post, sharing some snaps of her winning moment on Instagram.
"And yes I'm trans and I want to share my story but I'm also Rikkie and that's what matters to me. Did this on my own and loved every moment of it," the beauty queen added.
On her finalist page, Kollé said she wants to be a role model for young women and queer people.