Brunei comes to a standstill for royal wedding of Prince Abdul Mateen

CNN —

Life in the tiny oil-rich kingdom of Brunei came to a standstill Sunday for a grand royal wedding attended by heads of state and royals from Bhutan and Middle Eastern countries, the highlight of 10 days of celebrations.

The lavish ceremony saw Prince Abdul Mateen, the tenth child and fourth son of Brunei’s Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, wed his long-time partner, Yang Mulia Anisha Rosnah, the granddaughter of a royal adviser.

The couple exchanged vows at Istana Nurul Iman, the official residence of the sultan and the world’s largest residential palace – with 1,788 rooms, 257 bathrooms, and air-conditioned stables for 200 polo ponies.

A wedding procession through the streets of the capital Bandar Seri Begawan followed with crowds of supporters gathering for hours in scorching heat to catch a glimpse of the royal newlyweds.

Standing in the back of an open-top Rolls Royce, Mateen and his bride waved to the crowds as they were driven to their solemnization ceremony at a gold-domed mosque.

Crowds gather in the streets of Bandar Seri Begawan to cheer the royal newlyweds.

The 32-year-old prince, a British-trained and educated military officer in the Brunei Royal Armed Forces who’s sixth in line to his father’s throne, has become the modern face of Brunei’s royal family.

Once hailed by tabloids and magazines as one of Asia’s most eligible bachelors, Mateen has an active presence on Instagram where he shares personal photos with his 2.6 million followers. A post he made on December 31 announcing his engagement drew tens of thousands of likes and congratulatory comments.

According to media reports, his bride, Anisha, is said to be an entrepreneur who runs a tourism company and a silk clothing label.

The sultan and members