Thousands of onlookers who lined the streets of Brunei capital Bandar Seri Begawan to catch a glimpse of newlyweds Prince Abdul Mateen and Anisha Rosnah were not disappointed on Sunday as the couple dazzled the crowds, smiling and waving from the back of an open-top Rolls-Royce.
Royal bride Rosnah, who wore a white gown decorated with a silver diamond motif, stood out with her parure of diamond earrings and a statement diamond necklace. She also carried a small bouquet crafted in precious metal with gem embellishment and finished her look with a tiara over her white veil.
The tiara, by Singapore jeweller Flower Diamond, was a loan from Prince Mateen's sister Princess Azemah, who married their cousin, Prince Bahar ibni Jefri Bolkiah, in January last year.
“We appreciate the privilege of being part of your special day and sharing in the joyous celebration. It’s truly an honour for us to design and craft the royal tiara worn on this meaningful and commemorative occasion,” the brand posted on Instagram.
Originally commissioned for Princess Azemah's wedding, the tiara comprises a whopping 838 diamonds in various cuts totalling 132 carats.
The tiara was designed to be light and modern, as per Princess Azemah's request.
The process took eight months to complete, which included "sourcing diamonds of different sizes that consistently matched in shape and quality," Flower Diamond said.
For Rosnah's big day, the tiara was adjusted to perfectly fit her.
Founded in 1996 by Belinda Chua, Flower Diamond says it specialises in “fine and timeless jewellery that every woman deserves”. Besides a range of collections, from rings to earrings and necklaces, the brand also creates bespoke jewellery.
Celebrations for Prince Mateen and Rosnah's 10-day wedding began on January 7 and have included a number of elaborate traditional and religious ceremonies, some of them centuries old.
The bersanding or wedding reception was on Sunday, where the couple were officially recognised as husband and wife. It was held at Balai Singgahsana Indera Buana, the royal throne hall of Istana Nurul Iman, the official residence of Haji Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei, the Sultan and Prime Minister of Brunei and Prince Mateen's father.
There were reportedly 5,000 guests in attendance, including senior members of the Brunei royal family, as well as a number of international royals and dignitaries. Bhutan King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Queen Jetsun Pema, Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr and his wife Louise Araneta-Marcos, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and his wife Ho Ching, as well as Sheikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa of Bahrain attended the reception.
The reception was followed by a procession through the streets of Bandar Seri Begawan.
On Monday, a lavish banquet was held at Balai Persantapan in Istana Nurul Iman where guests were treated to a lavish spread, as well as musical performances.
The final event on Tuesday will be a more subdued one, where prayers will be offered to give thanks as well as to wish the newlyweds a happy life.
While sixth in line to the throne, Prince Mateen has gained prominence in recent years accompanying his father on diplomatic engagements. He's also known for his movie-star good looks and has more than 2.6 million followers on Instagram.
Prince Mateen and Rosnah, the granddaughter of one of the sultan's advisers, have known each other since they were children.
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
LILO & STITCH
Starring: Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Maia Kealoha, Chris Sanders
Director: Dean Fleischer Camp
Rating: 4.5/5
The specs
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Ticket prices
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Buy a four-person Family & Friends ticket and pay for only three tickets, so the fourth family member is free
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I/O: USB-C, smart connector (for folio/keyboard)
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Finish: Space grey, starlight, pink, purple, blue
Price: Wi-Fi – Dh2,499 (64GB) / Dh3,099 (256GB); cellular – Dh3,099 (64GB) / Dh3,699 (256GB)
Paris Can Wait
Dir: Eleanor Coppola
Starring: Alec Baldwin, Diane Lane, Arnaud Viard
Two stars
HIJRA
Starring: Lamar Faden, Khairiah Nathmy, Nawaf Al-Dhufairy
Director: Shahad Ameen
Rating: 3/5
More from Neighbourhood Watch
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Uefa Nations League: How it works
The Uefa Nations League, introduced last year, has reached its final stage, to be played over five days in northern Portugal. The format of its closing tournament is compact, spread over two semi-finals, with the first, Portugal versus Switzerland in Porto on Wednesday evening, and the second, England against the Netherlands, in Guimaraes, on Thursday.
The winners of each semi will then meet at Porto’s Dragao stadium on Sunday, with the losing semi-finalists contesting a third-place play-off in Guimaraes earlier that day.
Qualifying for the final stage was via League A of the inaugural Nations League, in which the top 12 European countries according to Uefa's co-efficient seeding system were divided into four groups, the teams playing each other twice between September and November. Portugal, who finished above Italy and Poland, successfully bid to host the finals.
Common OCD symptoms and how they manifest
Checking: the obsession or thoughts focus on some harm coming from things not being as they should, which usually centre around the theme of safety. For example, the obsession is “the building will burn down”, therefore the compulsion is checking that the oven is switched off.
Contamination: the obsession is focused on the presence of germs, dirt or harmful bacteria and how this will impact the person and/or their loved ones. For example, the obsession is “the floor is dirty; me and my family will get sick and die”, the compulsion is repetitive cleaning.
Orderliness: the obsession is a fear of sitting with uncomfortable feelings, or to prevent harm coming to oneself or others. Objectively there appears to be no logical link between the obsession and compulsion. For example,” I won’t feel right if the jars aren’t lined up” or “harm will come to my family if I don’t line up all the jars”, so the compulsion is therefore lining up the jars.
Intrusive thoughts: the intrusive thought is usually highly distressing and repetitive. Common examples may include thoughts of perpetrating violence towards others, harming others, or questions over one’s character or deeds, usually in conflict with the person’s true values. An example would be: “I think I might hurt my family”, which in turn leads to the compulsion of avoiding social gatherings.
Hoarding: the intrusive thought is the overvaluing of objects or possessions, while the compulsion is stashing or hoarding these items and refusing to let them go. For example, “this newspaper may come in useful one day”, therefore, the compulsion is hoarding newspapers instead of discarding them the next day.
Source: Dr Robert Chandler, clinical psychologist at Lighthouse Arabia
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
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- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
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All the Money in the World
Director: Ridley Scott
Starring: Charlie Plummer, Mark Wahlberg, Michelle Williams, Christopher Plummer
Four stars
