Billionaire Brunei prince takes 10 days to say ‘I do’

BRUNEI’S Prince Abdul Mateen, known as “Asia’s most eligible bachelor”, has married a commoner in a fairytale 10-day royal wedding in front of 5,000 guests.

Well-wishers lined the streets in the tiny kingdom’s capital to catch a glimpse of the prince and his wife, Yang Mulia Anisha Rosnah, as they rode through Bandar Seri Begawan in an open-top Rolls-royce yesterday.

Having trained in the RAF at Brize Norton, Prince Mateen has cultivated something of a James Bond-like image, posing in military fatigues with guns one minute and riding atop a horse playing polo the next.

He is reportedly worth about $30 billion (£24billion), owns 7,000 cars and has a passion for exotic pets. In one photo, he can be seen kneeling next to a tiger, beneath which reads the caption: “Back home with my buddy.”

Prince Mateen has built an online following of millions on Instagram with posts that include pictures of him shirtless on a beach. Many of his fans took to social media to wryly express their delight at the happy day.

“The bride is absolutely stunning. Beautiful couple. RIP to all the girls who has crush on him. Wake up! Movies and reality are two different things,” wrote one.

Yang Mulia Anisha Rosnah, 29, comes from a more humble background though one not devoid of prestige.

She is the granddaughter of an adviser to Brunei’s leader, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, and is reported to own a fashion and tourism company called Silk Collective. She studied at the University of Bath.

It is not clear how she met the prince though they are reported to have been dating for a number of years.

This week, the extravagant life into which she was marrying was heralded by an occasion that spared no expense.

A traditional powdering ceremony, in which the groom and bride-to-be are blessed by close family members, took place on Wednesday, including a parade of 40 spear-carriers and the firing of 17 cannons. A lavish banquet is due today.

‘RIP to all the girls who have a crush on him. Wake up! Movies and reality are two different things’