ブルネイ王子、一般女性と結婚

【バンダルスリブガワン（ブルネイ）ＡＦＰ＝時事】アジアで最も結婚したい独身男性の一人に挙げられてきた、ブルネイのアブドゥル・マティン王子（３２）が１１日、一般女性と結婚する。（写真は、ブルネイの街中に飾られたアブドゥル・マティン王子の結婚を祝う肖像）
　マティン王子と婚約者のヤン・ムリア・アニシャ・ロスナーさん（２９）の結婚式は、首都バンダルスリブガワンにある金色のドームを備えたモスクで、イスラム式で執り行われる。
　マティン王子は、存命する世界の君主で在位期間が最も長く、世界一の富豪だったこともあるハサナル・ボルキア国王の第１０子。
　お相手のアニシャさんは、ボルキア国王の顧問の孫娘。報道によると、アニシャさんは自らのファッションブランドを持ち、観光会社を共同経営している。
　１０日間にわたって祝賀行事が行われる予定で、１４日には１７８８室を擁する宮殿での式典と行列に各国の王族や指導者が招待されている。
　マティン王子は王位継承順位こそ低いが、二枚目俳優のようなルックスでＳＮＳに多くのフォロワーを持っており、ブルネイ王族でも特に注目を集めている。
　英国のサンドハースト王立陸軍士官学校を卒業し、空軍でヘリコプターのパイロットを務めていることから、陸軍で従軍経験のあるヘンリー英王子と比較されることも多く、以前は「ホットな王族」と呼ばれていた。
　近年は外交における役割も増しており、２０２２年のエリザベス英女王の葬儀や、昨年５月のチャールズ英国王の戴冠式には、ボルキア国王と共に参列した。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2024/01/11-16:07）

Brunei's polo-playing Prince Abdul Mateen, one of Asia's most eligible bachelors, is set to marry his commoner fiancee on Thursday as part of a lavish 10-day celebration in the oil-rich sultanate.
An Islamic marriage ceremony for the 32-year-old prince and Yang Mulia Anisha Rosnah, 29, will be held inside a gold-domed mosque in the capital Bandar Seri Begawan.
Mateen is the 10th child of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah -- the world's longest reigning monarch and once the richest man on the planet -- and is well down the succession pecking order.
His bride -- the granddaughter of one of his father's key advisers -- reportedly has a fashion brand and co-owns a tourism business.
Celebrations for the royal wedding reach their climax on Sunday with a glittering ceremony in the 1,788-room palace and an elaborate procession.
The guest list is expected to include international royalty and political leaders.
It's like a fairytale, university student Syahida Wafa Mohamed Shah, 22, told AFP on Wednesday, near the Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque, where the marriage will be solemnised.
Many Bruneians plan to line the streets for Sunday's procession when the couple will pass by in a royal carriage.
It's like something from a movie, said Nazatul Izzati Saifulrizal, 19.
- Extreme wealth -
The pomp and pageantry of the royal extravaganza highlights the tiny country's extreme wealth, which is almost entirely derived from its enormous oil reserves.
A sliver of land on the northern edge of Borneo island in Southeast Asia, Brunei was influenced by Buddhism and Hinduism before its rulers converted to Islam in the 14th century.
It fell under British rule in the 19th century and gained independence in 1984.
An absolute monarchy with strict Islamic laws and a population of only around 450,000 people, Brunei is one of the world's richest countries.
Its annual GDP per capita is nearly $36,000, according to the International Monetary Fund. However, analysts have warned that Brunei faces serious challenges to diversify its economy away from oil as crude prices remain volatile and its reserves dwindle.
While the sultan has long lost the title of the world's richest man to tech billionaires, his wealth remains the stuff of legend.
He is reported to have a vast collection of luxury vehicles and his riverside official residence is one of the world's largest palaces.
- 'Hot royal' -
While Mateen is unlikely to ever ascend the throne, his matinee idol looks and huge following on social media have made him one of the highest-profile members of the royal family.
A helicopter pilot in his country's air force, he has often been compared in the media with Britain's Prince Harry and was previously dubbed the hot royal.
Mateen graduated as an officer cadet in Britain's Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and represented his country in polo at the 2019 Southeast Asian Games.
In recent years, he has played a growing role in international diplomacy.
The prince accompanied his father to the coronation of King Charles and Queen Camilla in May last year, and Queen Elizabeth's funeral in 2022.