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 Raabi’atul, 22, in front of crowds of friends and family, nobility and foreign dignitaries amid mind-boggling splendor.

    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.

    Sunday’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 April 5.

    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.

    Raabi’atul 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.

    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 April 5, with the royal marriage proposal ceremony.

    (SD-Agencies)