Crystal-studded shoes, emeralds the size of quails' eggs and a bouquet made of Jewels: Sultan of Brunei's son celebrates wedding with mind-boggling splendour
The son of the Sultan of Brunei, one of the world's richest men, has wed bride Dayangku Raabi'atul 'Adawiyyah Pengiran Haji Bolkiah in a spectacular ceremony at the monarch's 1,788-room palace in Brunei's capital, Bandar Seri Begawan.
Prince Abdul Malik, 31, exchanged vows with Dayangku Raabi'atul 'Adawiyyah Pengiran Haji Bolkiah, 22, in front of crowds of friends and family, nobility and foreign dignitaries amid mind-boggling splendour.
The newlyweds' matching gold outfits were both embellished with diamonds, while blushing bride Raabi'atul carried a bouquet made of dazzling gems, rather than flowers.
The Prince is the youngest child of the Sultan, Hassanal Bolkiah, and his wife, Queen Saleha, and is second in the line of succession to become the next Sultan of Brunei.
Today's 'bersanding' or enthronement ceremony is usually the highlight of the wedding festivities, and saw the bride and groom seated next to each other, dressed in opulent traditional attire on gilded thrones in the Throne Chamber of the Istana Nural Iman palace.
According to The Brunei Times, also in attendance were seven Malaysian state rulers and the governor of Saudi Arabia, and this is the first time that the couple have appeared together since the festivities started on 5 April.
The couple wore matching traditional Malay dress, with the bride's veil constructed of swathes of intricate lace.
The 22-year-old bride, who worked as a systems data analyst and IT instructor, sported a breathtaking diamond tiara studded with six teardrop-shaped emeralds.
A diamond necklace with a central pendant of three emeralds the size of grapes, glittered around her neck, while a matching brooch of two egg-shaped emeralds dangled from a diamond setting.
Dayangku Raabi'atul 'Adawiyyah Pengiran Haji Bolkiah also toted Christian Louboutin heels encrusted Swarovski crystals, with the distinctive red sole, as well as a chunky gold anklet.
The newlyweds sat side by side praying during a section of the ceremony, and at one point, the Sultan was seen caressing the arms of his son's hand while the blessing of his new wife occurred.
The Sultan has 12 children - five sons and seven daughters - from three different marriages. Prince Abdul Malik is the sixth child of the Sultan and his current wife, Queen Saleha, who wed in 1965.
Part of the ceremony also saw royal guards entering the hall carrying ceremonial shields and spears.
After the ceremony, there is expected to be a luxurious banquet in the palace's hall, which can accommodate up to 5,000 guests.
The wedding is taking place over a period of 11 days, and started on Sunday, 5 April, with the royal marriage proposal ceremony.
During this time, a representative of the groom approached the bride's family with the groom's intention of seeking the bride's hand in marriage.
This signalled the beginning of the ceremonial events, and has been followed by a 'powdering' ceremony - when members of the families from both sides anoint the couple with powder and scented oil on the palms of their hand - and a gifting ceremony.
Source: Daily Mail