Brunei is hungover. Prince Mateen and Anisha Isa Kalebic are now officially husband and wife, a union they have sealed in style during 10 days of religious and traditional celebrations. The small Asian sultanate of Brunei, rich in oil and gas reserves, made official on Sunday, with a sumptuous royal reception, the marriage between its most popular prince, 32 years old and known for his profile as an athlete and the large number of followers he accumulates on social networks - on Instagram he has 2.5 million - and the young woman from Burea, 29 years old. It was the moment when the sultan and father of the prince, Hassanal Bolkiah, placed his hand on the bride's forehead. A sign that makes the Islamic union between the couple official, and makes Anisha Isa Kalebic part of the second richest royal family in the world. But the events and celebrations for the union began on the 7th, with a proposal ceremony, and have finally culminated this Tuesday.
After the marriage proposal was formalized on Sunday the 7th, the first day of the extensive wedding took place: the royal ceremony of dusting, at which time the couple's relatives bless them with colored rice powder and scented oils. From that day on, the small Asian country came to a standstill. On Tuesday the 9th, the solemnization took place in the Sultan's Mosque; on Thursday the 11th, the official marriage by Muslim rite, which was attended by the prince, but not by the bride, who was represented by a male relative; on Sunday the 14th, the long-awaited wedding ceremony at the Nurul Iman Palace, the official residence of the sultan and the largest palace in the world (according to CNN, it has 1,788 rooms, 257 bathrooms and air-conditioned stables for 200 horses). After the wedding, they paraded in a Rolls-Royce convertible through the streets of the capital, Bandar Seri Begawan, to receive the affection of hundreds of compatriots, followed by a reception for 5,000 guests. After holding another lavish banquet on Monday night, the celebrations culminated on Tuesday 16 with the recital of religious texts and ablutions by the attendees – including the sultan and other royals – to wish them health and happiness. During the ritual, 21 cannon salutes were also fired to commemorate the union of the princes, according to the Borneo Bulletin.
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The interest in who were the guests at the royal wedding in a country that boasts one of the highest GDPs in the world was evident before and during the celebration of the different events. Sunday's evening, the day of the wedding itself, was attended by the sultan and father of Mateen – who has been on the throne for more than half a century, despite controversies over his support for the stoning of homosexuals and adulterers – as well as members of Jordan's royalty (Princess Noor). Saudi Arabia and Bhutan; Indonesian President Joko Widodo; and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, among others. Although the Prince and Princess of Wales, William and Kate Middleton were expected to attend, they did not attend the events. The two families have a close relationship, given that the Asian country is part of the Commonwealth of Nations of the United Kingdom, and Mateen did attend their wedding, in 2011.
The Sultan of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah, makes official the union between Prince Mateen and Anisha Isa Kalebic at the dusting ceremony. BRUNEI'S INFORMATION DEPARTMENT (EFE)
The new princess has attracted multiple attentions. She has worn six dresses. Her choice for the official wedding on Sunday has attracted particular attention: she wore a long-sleeved dress with a small peak collar with golden geometric details and a veil embroidered with diamonds covering her head, as well as a tiara with more than 800 diamonds, the same one worn by Princess Azemah. Mateen's sister, for their wedding in January 2023. To which she added some spectacular earrings and necklace with diamonds. For the dusting rite, the princess wore a red dress with a towering gold headdress that covered her face for part of the ceremony. For Monday night's banquet, she again chose a white wedding dress decorated with crystals with an ostentatious tiara. The prince, for his part, wore a black military uniform, as opposed to the white one he chose for Sunday's wedding.
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The couple, who have known each other since they were both young — the prince is a close friend of the bride's brother — announced their engagement in October, sparking interest in the then-unknown Kalebic, who is the granddaughter of the special adviser to the Sultan of Brunei and studied at the UK's University of Bath. according to Esquire magazine. It is also known that the future consort, who is a commoner, has started a couple of businesses, a fashion one under the Silk Collective brand and a travel agency.
Abdul Mateen and Anisha Isa Kalebic, during their marriage ceremony in Brunei on Sunday. RUDOLF PORTILLO (EFE)
For his part, the prince, who has more followers on Instagram than the total population of the Asian country (445,000 inhabitants), is not the heir to the throne, but his older brother, Muda Hassanal Bolkiah. In his posts, he appears in photos in elegant suits with the Eiffel Tower in the background, playing polo, flying in a fighter jet and even showing off abs. He is the tenth of the sultan's 12 sons and daughters and the fourth among sons, and the fourth son of Sultan Hajah Mariam's second wife, whom he divorced in 2003. His role as a member of the sultanate is key. He often accompanies his father to high-level events, always in an advisory capacity, including the Japan Summit with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in December 2023 in Tokyo, or in Jakarta in September; as well as the coronation of Charles III, held in London in May last year. The prince of the Asian country graduated in International Politics from King's College London and then went on to pass a master's degree in International Studies and Diplomacy at the University of London. In his military training he graduated from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and then learned to fly helicopters at the Royal Air Force at Cranwell in the United Kingdom.
Abdul Mateen and Anisha Isa Kalebic paraded through the streets of Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei, on Sunday. RUDOLF PORTILLO (EFE)
But what really stands out is his facet as an influencer. Mateen has always tried to show a modern image of his country, despite living immersed in absolutism. For years, the media has portrayed him as a golden bachelor, as he is part of the second richest royal family in the world, with a net worth of 18,000 million euros, according to Forbes magazine. In fact, it wasn't until this end of the year that he posted his first photo with his then-fiancée on his networks. Until then it was not common for him to share that facet of his life, but now there are several publications in which he records his wedding celebrations.
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This small sultanate is located on the island of Borneo, which it shares with its neighbors, Indonesia and Malaysia, and was occupied by the Spanish and British Empires. Its sultan is 77 years old, has been married and divorced twice, and has led this conservative Islamic nation under the form of an absolute monarchy since 1967 – gay sex and adultery are punishable by death by stoning or mutilation of limbs – also becoming prime minister in 1984, after its independence from the United Kingdom. In 2017, he celebrated his 50 years on the throne in style with a month of celebrations that showed his extravagant lifestyle.