The first royal wedding in 2024! Prince Mateen of Brunei wed his longtime girlfriend and childhood friend, Anisha Rosnah, in a lavish ceremony celebrated for 10 days in Brunei.
The prince is the 10th child and 4th son of the world's current longest-reigning monarch, His Majesty Hassanal Bolkiah.
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| Prince Mateen and Anisha Rosnah on their wedding day. Photo credit Prince Mateen IG |
In a country where most forms of entertainment are banned, citizens always look forward to royal events in Brunei, such as royal weddings, to find enjoyment and reasons to go to the street and join the celebration.
Prince Mateen is the sultan's most popular child. He is his father's regular companion on official public engagements such as business summits - ASEAN, and royal events overseas.
He accompanied his father to the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022, King Charles III's coronation in May 2023, and the royal wedding of Jordan's Crown Prince Hussein, whom Prince Mateen called his friend.
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| Congratulations Prince Mateen and Anisha! ©Prince Mateen IG |
The 10-day grand wedding ceremony culminated on Sunday, January 13, attended by most heads of state and royals in Asia. From Bhutan to Middle Eastern nations.
The beautiful bride, Anisha Rosnah, is the granddaughter of His Majesty's royal adviser. According to international media, Anisha is an entrepreneur in Brunei and runs a silk clothing company.
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| ©Prince Mateen IG |
The couple exchanged vows at Istana Nurul Iman, the official residence of the sultan. It is considered the world’s largest residential palace – with 1,788 rooms, 257 bathrooms, and air-conditioned stables for 200 polo ponies.
Most of the sultan's children are polo players. Prince Mateen and his sister, Princess Azemah, represented Brunei in the Southeast Asian Games and other overseas polo tournaments.
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| Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei leads the family's procession |
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| The bride wears two white wedding gowns and two tiaras |
A wedding procession through the streets of the capital Bandar Seri Begawan followed with crowds of supporters gathering for hours in scorching heat to catch a glimpse of the royal newlyweds.
Standing in the back of an open-top Rolls Royce, Mateen and his bride waved to the crowds as they were driven to their solemnization ceremony at a gold-domed mosque.
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| Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah with Malaysian King and Bhutanese King © Prince Mateen IG |
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| Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei ©Prince Mateen IG |
The royal wedding celebrations began with a traditional Muslim pre-wedding ceremony known as the Khatam Quran, which involves the bride reciting a complete reading of the Quran. She wore a white hijab and a traditional Malay wedding dress, a white Baju Kurung, which was designed by Malaysian designer Teh Firdaus, who shared photos of it on Instagram.
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| Anisha during the powdering ceremony |
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| Prince Mateen during the powdering ceremony |
The official Islamic solemnization ceremony took place on January 11. At another traditional ceremony called the Berbedak Pengantin Diraja or “powdering ceremony” – which began with an indoor parade of spear carriers – the couple arrived separately in bright red Malay wedding suits.
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| The wedding venue |
They were blessed by members of their families who applied colored powder to their hands – a ritual symbolizing blessings for fertility and wealth.
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| The bride's different gowns during the celebrations |
Celebrations reached a high on Sunday, January 13, with the formal wedding, as the prince, dressed in a ceremonial military uniform, walked down the aisle with his wife. Anisha glittered in diamond, with her tiara and the traditional white wedding gown adorned with jewels.
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| ©Prince Mateen IG |
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| Prince Mateen IG |
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| The bride's beautiful wedding dress |
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| The dashing groom |
Prince Mateen and Anisha Rosnah
Prince Mateen, 32, obtained a degree in international politics from King’s College London. He trained at the Royal Military Academy in Sandhurst and is currently a helicopter pilot in the Royal Brunei Air Force and holds the rank of major.
His bride, Anisha Rosnah Isa-Kalebic, 29, is a graduate of the University of Bath in England. She is an entrepreneur, managing Silk Collective, a fashion label, and Authentirary, a tourism firm that offers cultural experiences.
Anisha's grandfather, Pehin Dato Isa, is Sultan Bolkiah's special advisor and has been a prominent government figure in Brunei since the 1960s.
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Childhood photo of Prince Mateen and Anisha shared by Prince Mateen on IG The newlyweds on January 13, 2024 |
Prince Mateen shares a childhood photo of him and Anisha Rosnah on his instagram account, indicating they've been friends since their childhood days.
Our warmest congratulations and best wishes to Prince Mateen and Anisha!
Details: Prince Mateen of Brunei: Royal Wedding of the Decade!
Brunei, a tiny but rich nation
Brunei is one of the smallest nations in the world. It is located near the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. This oil-rich country gained full independence from the United Kingdom in 1984.
It has a population of less than 500,000, however, it is one of the world’s richest nations due to its massive wealth derived almost entirely from oil and gas reserves.
Its ruling royal family, the House of Bolkiah, is headed by Mateen’s father, Hassanal, who, after the death of Queen Elizabeth II, became the world's longest-reigning monarch. He ascended to the Brunei throne in 1967.
The sultan also heads the government as Prime Minister and holds several cabinet portfolios including Minister of Defense, commanding Brunei’s military as well as finance and foreign affairs.
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