Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei (Commonwealth Union)_Everyone loves a wedding, especially if it’s a royal one because it flirts on the edges of fairytale princesses and handsome princes living happily ever after. And so it was that when Princess Fadzilah of Brunei married Awang Abdullah Nabil Mahmoud Al-Hashimi in a lavish ten day celebration, it held the entirety of this tiny island in the South China Sea, spellbound.
Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah’s daughter’s epic dresses and jewellery were nothing short of magical. From red, to grey to white to every shade in the rainbow, the Princess looked breathtakingly resplendent. It was not simply sophisticated style that the bride exuded in her multiple outfits but the confidence and self-assurance to carry each outfit with pizzazz is what was most becoming. There was the vibrant red wedding dress and flamboyant crown, an all-white jewel encrusted gown with matching tiara and necklace and the matching blue-grey outfits embellished to show off grace and charm despite its extravagance, all speaking of magic, magnificence and romance.
From the traditional royal powdering ceremony which is a centuries old custom practiced in Brunei-Malay culture where friends and family anoint the bridal couple with coloured pastes and scented oils, proceeding to the grand ceremony solemnizing marriage to the grand banquet with musical performances that had VIPs from around the world in attendance, and every feast and event in between, the bridal couple looked every inch the fairytale prince and princess. They even opted to wear similar prints in some of their outfits.
What makes this ten day phenomenon even more intriguing is the fact that Princess Fadzilah, has, until her nuptials, remained a very private person. Born to one of the wealthiest families in the world and the fourth daughter of the world’s longest reigning monarch, she is a strong advocate for a number of charities, campaigns for better healthcare and has also been the captain of Brunei’s national netball team.
Some of Princess Fadzilah’s siblings are equally accomplished. Needless to mention, the Sultan’s five good-looking children have done well for themselves. Besides Princess Fazilah’s prowess on the netball field, Prince Mateen was the second Bruneian royal to get a helicopter pilot’s license and Princess Azemah represented Brunei at polo at the South East Asian Games. And if the celebrity stakes were to count, the late Prince Azimcounted Michael and Janet Jackson among his friends.
