World's most beautiful – have they just noticed?

Beyoncé Knowles, the most beautiful person in the world according to 'People' (Reuters)

Were she not famed for her stability and ability in even the pointiest of heels, one might expect Beyoncé Knowles to be staggering under the weight of accolades piled upon her – mum of the year, protofeminist icon, and now, most beautiful person in the world.

When People magazine dubbed the singer thus in its annual "50 Most Beautiful" list yesterday, it begged the questions "Why?" and "Why now?" The arch-gorgeousness of Ms Knowles has been a hot topic since the days of "Crazy In Love" (discounting how beautiful she was during the Destiny's Child era, of course).

Then there's the fact that such a list is reductive, retrograde and belittling. But if that's your outlook, you're probably highly unlikely to be found reading People magazine. As you were.