Shakira Caine was born the eldest of four children to a Muslim family in Guyana. Her father died when she was only 5 years old leaving a grieving family. After graduating from High School, Shakira, was inspired by her mother's talent as a dressmaker to become a fashion designer herself. "Mother made all our clothes, including the elaborate evening gowns I wore for the Miss World Contest". Unfortunately she had to put her aspirations aside in order to help her family. She went to work as a secretary and it was there that her boss encouraged her to enter the Miss Guyana contest, going as far as to mail her application and photos in. Shakira went on to win Miss Guyana and was crowned third in the 1967 Miss World competition in London at the age of 19. After her appearance in the Miss World contest she worked for four years as a professional model and became famous for her advertisements for Maxwell House coffee.

Shakira has been married to actor Michael Caine since 1973 and they have a daughter, Natasha. Shakira appeared in the film "The Man Who Would Be King," with her husband and Sean Connery and then choose to give up her showbiz career to raise her daughter. Today, Shakira designs exotic jewellery and runs the restaurant 'The Canteen' at Chelsea Harbour.