Ximena Aulestia, Miss Ecuador, was actually born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1952. She lived in that country's capital, Brasília, for her first ten years of her life while her father served in a diplomatic mission.
Australian Penny Plummer, Miss World 1968, was scheduled to crown her successor, but due to health problems, she decided to stay at home in Gosford, New South Wales.
This was the first time that the pageant was held at the Royal Albert Hall, with its 5,272 maximum seating capacity almost sold out. Previously, the contest had been staged at the Lyceum Ballroom (now Theatre) since its creation in 1951.