Brunei sultan's daughter weds in elaborate ceremony
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Brunei's newly wed bride, Princess Hafizah Sururul Bolkiah, poses during her wedding ceremony with Muhammad Ruzaini at Nurul Iman Palace in Bandar Seri Begawan on Sept 23, 2012. Hafizah is the daughter of Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, one of the world's richest men. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
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Brunei's newly wed royal couple, Muhammad Ruzaini, (second left), and Princess Hafizah Sururul Bolkiah (second right), pose with Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah and Queen Saleha during their wedding ceremony at Nurul Iman Palace in Bandar Seri Begawan September 23, 2012. Hafizah is the daughter of Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, one of the world's richest men. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
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Philippine President Benigno Aquino III, (left), along with Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen, Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and Saudi Arabia's Prince Faisal bin Saud bin Abdul Mohsen bin Abdul Aziz, (right), attend the wedding ceremony of the Royal couple Princess Hajah Hafizah Sururul Bolkiah and her groom Pengiran Haji Muhammad Ruzaini on September 23, 2012. Daughter of Brunei's sultan and her groom were officially presented to the royal court in a colourful ceremony in the tiny oil-rich monarchy. -- PHOTO: AFP
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Brunei's newly wed royal couple, Muhammad Ruzaini and Princess Hafizah Sururul Bolkiah, sit during the "bersanding" or enthronement ceremony at their wedding in the Nurul Iman Palace in Bandar Seri Begawan on Sept 23, 2012. Hafizah is the daughter of Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, one of the world's richest men. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
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Brunei's newly wed royal couple, Muhammad Ruzaini, (eighth left), and Princess Hafizah Sururul Bolkiah, (ninth left), pose with members of Brunei's royal family during their wedding ceremony at Nurul Iman Palace in Bandar Seri Begawan September 23, 2012. Hafizah is the daughter of Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, one of the world's richest men. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
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A general view during the wedding of royal couple Princess Hajah Hafizah Sururul Bolkiah and her groom Pengiran Haji Muhammad Ruzaini, (left), on royal dais ceremony at Istana Nurul Iman in Brunei's capital Bandar Seri Begawan on Sept 23, 2012. Daughter of Brunei's sultan and her groom were officially presented to the royal court in a colourful ceremony in the tiny oil-rich monarchy. -- PHOTO: AFP
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Brunei's Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah, (right), gives his blessing to the royal couple Princess Hajah Hafizah Sururul Bolkiah and her groom Pengiran Haji Muhammad Ruzaini, (left), at the end of the sitting-in-state on royal dais ceremony at Istana Nurul Iman in Brunei's capital Bandar Seri Begawan on Sept 23, 2012. -- PHOTO: AFP
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Brunei's Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah, (center), returns after blessing to the royal couple Princess Hajah Hafizah Sururul Bolkiah and her groom Pengiran Haji Muhammad Ruzaini, (left), at the end of the sitting-in-state on royal dais ceremony at Istana Nurul Iman in Brunei's capital Bandar Seri Begawan on Sept 23, 2012. -- PHOTO: AFP
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The Royal couple Princess Hajah Hafizah Sururul Bolkiah and her groom Pengiran Haji Muhammad Ruzaini, (left), prays at the end of the sitting-in-state on royal dais ceremony at Istana Nurul Iman in Brunei's capital Bandar Seri Begawan on Sept 23, 2012. -- PHOTO: AFP
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The Royal couple Princess Hajah Hafizah Sururul Bolkiah and her groom Pengiran Haji Muhammad Ruzaini, (left), prays at the end of the sitting-in-state on royal dais ceremony at Istana Nurul Iman in Brunei's capital Bandar Seri Begawan on Sept 23, 2012. -- PHOTO: AFP
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Brunei's newly wed royal couple, Muhammad Ruzaini and Princess Hafizah Sururul Bolkiah recite a prayer during their wedding ceremony at Nurul Iman Palace in Bandar Seri Begawan on Sept 23, 2012. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
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Brunei's newly wed royal couple, Muhammad Ruzaini, (center), and Princess Hafizah Sururul Bolkiah, (centre left), leave after their wedding ceremony at Nurul Iman Palace in Bandar Seri Begawan on Sept 23, 2012. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
Brunei's newly wed bride, Princess Hafizah Sururul Bolkiah, poses during her wedding ceremony with Muhammad Ruzaini at Nurul Iman Palace in Bandar Seri Begawan on Sept 23, 2012. Hafizah is the daughter of Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, one of the world's richest men. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
Brunei's newly wed royal couple, Muhammad Ruzaini, (second left), and Princess Hafizah Sururul Bolkiah (second right), pose with Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah and Queen Saleha during their wedding ceremony at Nurul Iman Palace in Bandar Seri Begawan September 23, 2012. Hafizah is the daughter of Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, one of the world's richest men. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
Philippine President Benigno Aquino III, (left), along with Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen, Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and Saudi Arabia's Prince Faisal bin Saud bin Abdul Mohsen bin Abdul Aziz, (right), attend the wedding ceremony of the Royal couple Princess Hajah Hafizah Sururul Bolkiah and her groom Pengiran Haji Muhammad Ruzaini on September 23, 2012. Daughter of Brunei's sultan and her groom were officially presented to the royal court in a colourful ceremony in the tiny oil-rich monarchy. -- PHOTO: AFP
Brunei's newly wed royal couple, Muhammad Ruzaini and Princess Hafizah Sururul Bolkiah, sit during the "bersanding" or enthronement ceremony at their wedding in the Nurul Iman Palace in Bandar Seri Begawan on Sept 23, 2012. Hafizah is the daughter of Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, one of the world's richest men. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
Brunei's newly wed royal couple, Muhammad Ruzaini, (eighth left), and Princess Hafizah Sururul Bolkiah, (ninth left), pose with members of Brunei's royal family during their wedding ceremony at Nurul Iman Palace in Bandar Seri Begawan September 23, 2012. Hafizah is the daughter of Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, one of the world's richest men. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
A general view during the wedding of royal couple Princess Hajah Hafizah Sururul Bolkiah and her groom Pengiran Haji Muhammad Ruzaini, (left), on royal dais ceremony at Istana Nurul Iman in Brunei's capital Bandar Seri Begawan on Sept 23, 2012. Daughter of Brunei's sultan and her groom were officially presented to the royal court in a colourful ceremony in the tiny oil-rich monarchy. -- PHOTO: AFP
Brunei's Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah, (right), gives his blessing to the royal couple Princess Hajah Hafizah Sururul Bolkiah and her groom Pengiran Haji Muhammad Ruzaini, (left), at the end of the sitting-in-state on royal dais ceremony at Istana Nurul Iman in Brunei's capital Bandar Seri Begawan on Sept 23, 2012. -- PHOTO: AFP
Brunei's Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah, (center), returns after blessing to the royal couple Princess Hajah Hafizah Sururul Bolkiah and her groom Pengiran Haji Muhammad Ruzaini, (left), at the end of the sitting-in-state on royal dais ceremony at Istana Nurul Iman in Brunei's capital Bandar Seri Begawan on Sept 23, 2012. -- PHOTO: AFP
The Royal couple Princess Hajah Hafizah Sururul Bolkiah and her groom Pengiran Haji Muhammad Ruzaini, (left), prays at the end of the sitting-in-state on royal dais ceremony at Istana Nurul Iman in Brunei's capital Bandar Seri Begawan on Sept 23, 2012. -- PHOTO: AFP
The Royal couple Princess Hajah Hafizah Sururul Bolkiah and her groom Pengiran Haji Muhammad Ruzaini, (left), prays at the end of the sitting-in-state on royal dais ceremony at Istana Nurul Iman in Brunei's capital Bandar Seri Begawan on Sept 23, 2012. -- PHOTO: AFP
Brunei's newly wed royal couple, Muhammad Ruzaini and Princess Hafizah Sururul Bolkiah recite a prayer during their wedding ceremony at Nurul Iman Palace in Bandar Seri Begawan on Sept 23, 2012. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
Brunei's newly wed royal couple, Muhammad Ruzaini, (center), and Princess Hafizah Sururul Bolkiah, (centre left), leave after their wedding ceremony at Nurul Iman Palace in Bandar Seri Begawan on Sept 23, 2012. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, Brunei (AFP) - Glittering jewels and the echoes of a 17-gun salute marked the climax of wedding celebrations for the daughter of one of the world's wealthiest men, the Sultan of Brunei.
Princess Hajah Hafizah Sururul Bolkiah, 32, and Pengiran Haji Muhammad Ruzaini, 29, were presented to the royal court in a lavish traditional ceremony at the sultan's 1,700-room palace on Sunday. Although the couple were legally wed on Thursday after signing the marriage contract, Sunday's event marks the height of more than a week of festivities in the tiny oil-rich Muslim sultanate on Borneo island.
The bride, dressed in a crystal-beaded beige and silver gown, was ushered into the throne room by sixteen royal guards carrying ceremonial spears and shields. She was seated at the head of the hall in front of 3,000 guests, including Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, Philippines President Benigno Aquino and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen.
Visibly nervous, the groom, wearing beige and gold brocade to complement his wife's ensemble, was escorted to the bridal dias where the sultan took Ruzaini's hand and placed it on the bride's forehead - a symbolic blessing and gesture of affection in Malay culture. The monarch also bestowed the groom with the royal title "Yang Amat Mulia Pengiran Anak", which roughly translates as "Son of His Highness" and is reserved only for the upper tiers of Brunei's aristocracy.
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