Prince Mateen of Brunei's Wedding: The Royal Wedding of the Decade

Royal experts said that Prince Mateen of Brunei's wedding this January is the royal wedding of the decade, considering the grandeur, opulence, pomp, and pageantry displayed at the event.

The wedding had 5,000 guests, the biggest guest list for a royal wedding, surpassing the 3,500 wedding guests of then-Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer in 1981 and Prince Albert II of Monaco and Charlene Wittstock in 2011.

Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding in 2011 had 1,900 invited guests while Crown Prince Hussein of Jordan and Rajwa Al Saif in 2023 had 1,700 invited guests.

The bride and groom and their 7-tiered wedding cake

Just like the weddings of his older siblings, Prince Mateen's wedding was celebrated in Brunei for 10 days complete with all the elements of royal pageantry.

His bride, Anisha Rosnah, is the only Bruneian royal bride who wore white gowns (except for the traditional powdering ceremony) for the wedding ceremony and wedding banquet.

Anisha wore four white dresses and a red dress in total during the 10-day festivities. The last two ensembles (for the formal wedding ceremony and grand wedding reception) were designed by famous haute couture designers - Zuhair Murad and Dior respectively.

Anisha's four white gowns at her wedding celebration

Anisha's four sets of wedding dresses: First two traditional gowns from Malaysian designer, Teh Firdaus, the third one was designed by Lebanese designer, Zuhair Murad, and the fourth one from Dior

Prince Mateen's father is His Majesty Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, the world's current longest-reigning monarch (reigning since 1967).

The Sultan is also one of the richest persons in the world and runs an oil-rich nation in Southeast Asia both as head of state and head of government (Brunei is an absolute monarchy).

Prince Mateen is the Sultan's most popular child and his constant companion in many overseas (even local) engagements, including royal events, so he spared no expense for the wedding, giving his son a wedding event to remember.

Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei and his wife and official consort, Queen Saleha

The wedding celebrations featured a lavish combination of parade, pomp and pageantry, performances, tradition, and piety, attended by 5,000 invited guests, mostly royalty from South Asia and the Middle East. Heads of State (non-Crown Heads) in the region (Southeast Asia) - Presidents of Indonesia and the Philippines, and the Prime Minister of Singapore.

Prince Mateen's wedding seemed to be the last royal wedding in Brunei before the public could witness another one in the next decade. He is Sultan Bolkiah's 10th child of his 12 children (all 10 royal children already married). The two youngest children are aged 18 and 16.

The newly weds with Prince Mateen's parents

Sultan Bolkiah married three times. His first wife is his first cousin and his official Queen Consort, Hajah Saleha with whom he has six children including Crown Prince, Al-Muhtadee Billah.

His Majesty has four children with his second wife, Mariam: Prince Abdul Azim who died in 2020 (unmarried), Princesses Azemah and Fadzillah, and Prince Mateen. The Sultan and Hajah Mariam divorced in 2003.

He has two young children, now aged 18 and 16, with his third wife Azrinaz Mazhar Hakim who he divorced in 2010. After two divorces, the Sultan did not remarry, so his current and official queen remains to be his first wife.

world leaders attending the wedding banquet

Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah's wealth was on full display during the celebration. The events glowed in gold and diamonds and crystals. With vast financial reserves, the Sultan is capable of organizing a grand wedding festivity for his son.

German Larkin, a Russian journalist, traveler, and celebrity photographer who lived around the world due to the nature of his job, served as the official wedding photographer.

Anisha wears two wedding dresses and two tiaras

Details of the Grand Celebration

The first event of the wedding was held on January 7, the traditional Majlis Khatam Al-Quran where Anisha read the Quran.

Dress designed by Teh Firdaus

It wasn't broadcast but court photographer, Muash Rosman, shared photos of the bride-to-be, revealing the dress, a Baju Kurung made of Tenunan Brunei fabric created by Malaysian designer, Teh Firdaus.

Prince Mateen and his father at the powdering ceremony

On the 9th, the couple had the traditional Istiadat Berbedak or Royal Powdering Ceremony when the couple's family applied colored paste and scented oils to their hands.

The bride at the powdering ceremony

This ceremony was held separately for the bride and groom. Prince Mateen had his powdering ceremony first followed by Anisha. All of them wore a bright red traditional outfit.

Anisha at the powdering ceremony

On the 10th, another event was held. The Berbedak Mandi is a traditional Bruneian Malay wedding ceremony where the soon-to-be couple receives blessings from close family members.

Dress designed by Teh Firdaus

Anisha wore another Teh Firdaus dress, a white long-sleeve dress overlaid with lace and a coordinating veil. It was also the occasion where the official betrothal gifts were presented.

Prince Abdul Mateen and Anisha Rosnah were officially affirmed at a male-only ceremony in Brunei on Thursday. The Islamic marriage ceremony was held inside the gold-domed Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque in the capital Bandar Seri Begawan.

It was attended by Prince Mateen's father, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, as well as relatives and guests. Inside the mosque, Prince Mateen seated on a special mat called Kasur Namat, flanked by four ceremonial candles called Dian.

Dressed in traditional white wedding attire decorated with diamond-shaped motifs and a matching headpiece, he affirmed the acceptance of the Akad Nikah or marriage solemnization.

Then Prince Mateen approached his father and kissed his hand. A 17-gun salute was then fired to mark the conclusion of the ceremony. Prince Mateen was driven out of the mosque in a luxury saloon and waved to onlookers who lined up the street to watch the spectacle.

On January 14, the main royal wedding event called the Bersanding ceremony, took place and was held at Istana Nurul Iman Palace, the largest royal palace in the world!

Bersanding ceremony, actual wedding ceremony

Prince Mateen wore a white military uniform while the bride wore an A-line white gown created by Dior. She wore a sweeping veil held in place by a large diamond tiara.

The 18k white gold diamond tiara was commissioned for Princess Azemah's wedding in January 2023 and was created by Singapore-based jeweler, Flower Diamond.

According to Flower Diamond, the tiara's design is based on Princess Azemah's request for a lighter shape focusing on the diamond's brilliance and rarity, and took eight months to finish.

Gown by Dior

The tiara is composed of a striking array of 838 pieces of diamonds, including 38 square-shaped, 14 oval-shaped, 19 pear-shaped, and 767 round brilliant cut diamonds - with a total of 132 carats.

On January 15, the massive wedding banquet was held at Istana Nurul Iman with around 5,000 invited guests, the largest wedding guests in a royal wedding.

Gown by Zuhair Murad

Princess Anisha wore Queen Saleha's Diamond Tiara which has been worn by several of her new sisters-in-law for their wedding celebrations. She did not use the optional heart diamond center but did use the blue and pink diamond toppers.

newlyweds at their wedding reception

Wedding reception

She glittered in diamonds as she wore a silhouette crystal-embellished wedding dress created for her by Lebanese designer, Zuhair Murad. Prince Mateen wore a black military uniform.