Brunei's Prince Abdul Mateen, lauded online for his good looks and military service, has married his commoner fiancée in a 10-day royal wedding.
The internet-famous prince revealed his relationship and engagement to Yang Mulia Anisha Rosnah in December. The announcement surprised many fans of the man once dubbed one of Asia's most eligible bachelors.
The bride is the granddaughter of an adviser to Brunei's leader, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah. She is reported to own a fashion and tourism company.
Prince Abdul Mateen, 32, was dressed in ceremonial uniform and his bride, 29, wore a long white dress and jewels for the ceremony at the Istana Nurul Iman palace. The reported 5,000 wedding guests included royalty from Saudi Arabia and Jordan, as well as Indonesia's President Joko Widodo and the leader of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
The pair made their first public appearance as a married couple, waving at thousands of well-wishers from the back of an open-top Rolls Royce, as a lavish procession made its way through the capital, Bandar Seri Begawan. Schoolteacher Norliha Mohamad told AFP news agency the chance to glimpse the royal couple was a "once-in-a-lifetime moment".
Prince Mateen is a major presence on social media, with over 2.5m followers on Instagram and thousands more on TikTok. There were sighs from some of his fans after he posted a picture of himself alongside his bride-to-be on New Year's Eve.
"2024 starts with a heartbreak", wrote one follower, with another jokingly calling him an "international heartbreaker". Many others rejoiced at the news he was about to tie the knot. Many of his other posts capture the prince at special functions or out exploring, attracting numerous heart emojis and compliments in the comments.
Local TV stations broadcast some of the wedding events in the small, oil-rich sultanate. Prince Mateen is the 10th child of the Sultan, the world's longest-reigning monarch and one of the richest.
The prince holds no immediate succession claim to the throne but his profile has risen tremendously. Video edits of the prince at royal functions, playing in polo matches and being spotted in his army uniform abound online.
The wedding kicked off on 7 January and reached its height in Sunday's large ceremony. The Islamic marriage ceremony occurred on Wednesday formalising Prince Mateen's marriage.
It was only attended only by male members of the wedding party including the prince and his father, with 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. Prince Mateen wore a traditional white outfit and headpiece that featured a diamond-shaped print.
After being bestowed by an imam, he bowed and paid his respects to his father.
