Jennifer Gates announces pregnancy with Egyptian husband Nayel Nassar

Bill Gates's daughter recently celebrated her first wedding anniversary

Jennifer Gates and Egyptian-American showjumper Nayel Nassar have been together since 2018. Instagram / jenniferkgates

The couple got engaged during a skiing holiday in January 2020. Instagram / Jennifer Gates

Jennifer Gates and Nayel Nassar have celebrated their engagement with a Florida party. Instagram / jenniferkgates

The couple got married on October 16, 2021. Reuters

Nassar has carved out a successful career in showjumping. Abacapress.com/Reuters

The pair are keen equestrians. Europa Press Entertainment/Europa Press via Getty Images

Nassar was born in Chicago, but grew up in Kuwait. In 2009, he moved back to California. Getty Images

Nassar represents Egypt at international equestrian events. Getty Images

Jennifer Gates has announced she and husband Nayel Nassar are expecting a baby.

The daughter of Microsoft founder Bill Gates and his ex-wife Melinda, who married the Egyptian equestrian last year, posted the announcement to Instagram on Thursday.

"Thankful," she wrote next to green heart and baby bottle emojis, alongside a photograph of herself, with Nassar, cradling her pregnancy bump. In the autumnal image, Nassar is leaning casually against a wall, as Gates leans her head on his shoulder while wearing a floor-length green dress, with leaves falling around them.

She also shared a close-up image of herself, cradling the bump and smiling down at it.

Her mother, Melinda, wrote in the comments: "I couldn't be more excited to meet this little one and watch you two become parents."

Last month, the couple celebrated their first wedding anniversary. The pair were married at her 50-hectare horse farm in North Salem on October 16 last year, a day after they reportedly exchanged vows in a smaller Muslim ceremony.

Gates, a medical student, 26, marked the anniversary with a touching post on Instagram.

"I can’t believe it’s already been a year since we kicked off the most special weekend of our lives," she wrote, alongside a gallery of four images from their wedding weekend.

The fairy-tale setting was designed by Rishi Patel, regularly named as one of the top wedding and event designers in the world.

For the ceremony, Gates wore a long-sleeved lace gown which was custom-made by Vera Wang Haute. She wore her hair loose with a long veil and carried a white bouquet.

She changed into a second dress for the reception, also designed by Wang, which featured a square neckline, lined with nude tulle and embellished with hand-applique French macrame lace.

Nassar wore a simple three-piece tux, with white flowers to match Gates's bouquet pinned to his lapel.

Gates and Nassar, 31, who represented Egypt at the Tokyo Olympic Games, announced their engagement in January 2020. The couple have been together since 2018, and got engaged during a skiing holiday. They held an engagement party in Florida.

"Nayel Nassar, you are one of a kind. Absolutely swept me off my feet this past weekend, surprising me in the most meaningful location over one of our many shared passions," Jennifer wrote on Instagram at the time of their engagement.

"I can’t wait to spend the rest of our lives learning, growing, laughing and loving together. Yes a million times over."

Nassar was born in Chicago but grew up in Kuwait, where members of his family still live. In 2009, he moved back to California, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in economics.

Instead of entering the world of finance, however, he carved out a successful career in showjumping.

When they got engaged, Nassar also posted an announcement on his own Instagram account, saying: “I’m feeling like the luckiest (and happiest) man in the world right about now.

“Jenn, you are everything I could have possibly imagined ... and so much more. I can’t wait to keep growing together through this journey called life, and I simply can’t imagine mine without you any more. Love you more than you can possibly imagine, and thank you for making every single day feel like a dream to me. Here’s to forever!”

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