Jaime VandenBerg did not take her final walk as Miss Universe Canada alone. The outgoing Miss Universe Canada 2025 stepped onto the pageant stage carrying her baby daughter, Charlotte, turning one of the most traditional moments in beauty pageantry into a deeply personal milestone.
VandenBerg made her farewell appearance during the Miss Universe Canada 2026 coronation ceremony in Windsor, Ontario, on August 8. With her daughter in her arms, she completed her final walk before passing the crown to her successor, Aslihan Morali of Ancaster, Ontario.
The appearance carried extra significance because Charlotte had, in a way, already shared one of the biggest stages of her mother's pageant career.
VandenBerg recently revealed that she was four months pregnant when she represented Canada at Miss Universe 2025 in Thailand.
© Getty ImagesMonths later, mother and daughter returned to the pageant spotlight together, this time with no secret to keep.
Jaime VandenBerg Carries Daughter Charlotte During Final Walk
Farewell walks are usually designed to give an outgoing titleholder one final solo moment in the spotlight. VandenBerg changed that tradition by bringing Charlotte with her.
The result was a final walk that represented more than the end of a reign.
© Getty ImagesVandenBerg, 29, welcomed Charlotte Nicole Hernandez-VandenBerg with her partner, Aaron Hernandez, on May 14, 2026. Just a few months later, Charlotte was in her mother's arms as VandenBerg closed her Miss Universe Canada chapter.
The moment also created a full-circle connection to the 2025 Miss Universe competition.
When VandenBerg competed internationally in Thailand in November 2025, she was already in her second trimester. She had not publicly announced her pregnancy and even kept the news from her family and the Miss Universe Canada organization at the time.
© Getty ImagesShe eventually announced the pregnancy publicly in March 2026.
Why Jaime VandenBerg Kept Her Pregnancy Private at Miss Universe
VandenBerg's decision not to reveal her pregnancy during Miss Universe was intentional.
In an interview with PEOPLE published shortly before her final walk, she explained that she worried her pregnancy would overshadow the advocacy work, resilience and years of preparation that had brought her to the international competition.
“We did not tell our family nor the Miss Universe Canada organization at that time, and chose to keep it to ourselves for quite some time,” she says. “I really loved that we did that because it made the pregnancy feel that much more intimate in an era of my life where everything was so in the public eye.”
“While we weren’t necessarily trying to start a family, Aaron and I had spoken extensively about the possibility of pregnancy,” she admits. “I wasn’t on any form of birth control, and I felt very ready in my life that if it happened, I would feel incredibly happy and blessed.”
She also considered whether she should compete after discovering she was pregnant.
© AFP via Getty ImagesAccording to VandenBerg, Hernandez encouraged her to continue pursuing the opportunity. She also consulted her physician before competing and received medical reassurance that she could participate safely while paying attention to her body's needs. By the time she arrived in Thailand, she was entering her second trimester.
Her pregnancy required some practical adjustments, particularly when it came to wardrobe. She planned to wear more fitted clothing earlier in the competition and saved stretchier silhouettes for later as her body changed.
The strategy worked. Her pregnancy remained private throughout the competition.
Miss Universe Canada’s Pregnancy Story Comes Full Circle
That background makes VandenBerg's final walk with Charlotte especially notable.
At Miss Universe 2025, Charlotte was there but unseen. At Miss Universe Canada 2026, she became part of the farewell moment itself. VandenBerg finished in the Top 30 when she represented Canada at the international Miss Universe competition.
© Getty ImagesHer pageant résumé extends well beyond that appearance.
VandenBerg previously won Miss Earth Canada and Miss World Canada before capturing the Miss Universe Canada 2025 crown. PEOPLE reports that she became the first Canadian woman to win four major national pageant titles: Miss Universe Canada, Miss World Canada, Miss International Canada and Miss Earth Canada.
Now, she is stepping away from competing.
VandenBerg told PEOPLE that she plans to remain connected to pageantry through coaching and mentoring, while motherhood becomes her primary focus.
More than a Beauty Queen
Her platform has included raising awareness about gender-based violence, an issue with a particularly personal connection for VandenBerg. She survived a near-fatal shooting in 2021, and her advocacy later earned her the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal.
Who Is the New Miss Universe Canada 2026?
Once VandenBerg completed her farewell, it was time for another woman to begin her reign.
Aslihan Morali of Ancaster, Ontario, was crowned Miss Universe Canada 2026 at the August 8 final in Windsor.
According to her official Miss Universe Canada profile, Morali is an entrepreneur, content creator, freelance model and actor. Born in Türkiye, she immigrated to Canada with her family as a child and has spoken about growing up in an immigrant household and helping her family navigate their new country.
Morali is also the founder of Leap Global Voices, an initiative focused on empowering young girls. Her victory officially closed VandenBerg's reign and opened the next Miss Universe Canada chapter.
Motherhood Has Become Part of the Modern Pageant Conversation
VandenBerg's story arrives during a significant period of change for international pageantry.
The Miss Universe Organization changed its eligibility rules beginning in 2023, opening the competition to married women and mothers. The policy shift removed restrictions that had historically prevented women with children from competing.
© Getty ImagesVandenBerg was not yet a mother when she competed at Miss Universe, but she was pregnant, making her experience another example of how traditional ideas surrounding pageant contestants are changing.
Her final appearance made that evolution particularly visible.
