The 10-day wedding celebrations of Brunei’s Prince Abdul Mateen and Yang Mulia Anisha Rosnah reached its climax on Sunday.
Prince Mateen, once dubbed Asia’s “most eligible bachelor”, held a splendid ceremony with global leaders as guests.
The celebration began on January 7 in Brunei’s capital city, as thousands of citizens in Bandar Seri Begawan lined up the streets to see the couple’s first appearance.
It is pertinent to mention that the marriage ceremony occurred on January 10 formalising Prince Mateen’s marriage which attended only by male members of the wedding party including the prince and his father.
On Wednesday, footage showed citizens lining the streets of the capital as the royal motorcade carried the Sultan and Prince Mateen to his solemnisation inside a golden-domed mosque.
Mateen, 32, wore a ceremonial uniform while his 29-year-old bride was in a long white dress and sparkling jewels for the event at the sprawling Istana Nurul Iman palace.
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They made their first public appearance as a married couple in a procession through the normally sleepy capital Bandar Seri Begawan in front of thousands of onlookers.
The popular prince was one of Asia’s most eligible bachelors until he tied the knot with Yang Amat Mulia Pengiran Anak Isteri Anisha Rosnah, who is from a prominent family in Brunei.
Mateen’s father is Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, the world’s longest-reigning monarch and once the richest man on the planet.
There was a festive atmosphere in the city with free ice cream on offer and soft drinks for sale as people began to take positions along the parade route hours before it began.
Wearing a traditional formal outfit and matching songkok hat, retired banker Haji Suhaimin Abas, 66, was among the elite Bruneians to receive an invitation to the wedding ceremony.
“This is a very big celebration,” he told AFP as he ate breakfast before going to the palace.
Royalty from Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Bhutan were listed among the reported 5,000 guests.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, Indonesian President Joko Widodo and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos were among the government leaders in attendance.
With input from wires…
