You might be all caught up with the gorgeous nuptials of showbiz royalties like Kim Kardashian and Kanye West, or even Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, but you might have missed the most supremely beautiful weddings of real-life royals. A Middle Eastern wedding - we mean a Middle Eastern royal wedding is as immaculately perfect now, as it used to be forty years ago.
Here’s looking at the most gorgeous Middle Eastern royal weddings over the years:
This wedding brought together a royalty and a commoner much before William and Catherine of England did. The King of Morocco wed an engineer Salma Bennani in 2001. The couple met at a private party in 1999, and tied the knot within a couple of years. Salma was given the title of HRH Princess Lalla Salma post her wedding to the Moroccan king. The 54-year-old King Mohamed and the 39-year-old Princess have two children together.
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On their wedding, Salma looked no less than a Disney Princess. In perfectly coordinated lace and satin and a bejewelled tiara, and shimmery makeup Salma looked astonishingly beautiful. Their wedding which took place at the Dar al-Makhzin, Rabat, is still one of the most talked about Middle Eastern nuptials.
No list about a Middle Eastern royal weddings can ever be completed until we mention the stunning wedding ceremony of the most stylish women in the world Queen Rania. Rania, too, was a commoner when she met the King of Jordan (who was then of course a prince) in 1992. Rania, who was born to Palestinian parents, has a degree in Business Administration and has had jobs in companies like Citibank and Apple.
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Not only is Rania hailed as one of the most influential style icons, she has also been an incredible role model for young Asian women. From her humanitarian work to her relentless campaigning to improve health, education and sanitation in the Middle East, Rania is a true-blue Queen, with or without a title. She is followed by 9.71 people on Twitter. Her wedding to the King was, which took place at Zahran Palace, was one of the most photogenic Middle Eastern weddings. The bride wore a stunning belted gown by British couture designer Bruce Oldfield, and kept her makeup to a minimum.
Princess Haya, the daughter of Jordanian King Hussein married the UAE Prime Minister and the ruler of the Emirates of Dubai in 2004. Princess Haya is not just royalty but also an accomplished Olympics show jumper and an Oxford graduate. The wedding did not just have Princess Haya’s half brother King Abdullah of Jordan and his global icon wife Rania in attendance, but also a number of Emirates’ celebs. HRH Haya is the Sheikh’s fourth wife, and the couple have two children together.
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Princess Haya wore a simple, traditional white ensemble for her wedding, and was a simple yet beautiful affair.
Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed’s daughter Latifa got married to Shaikh Faisal, who belongs to the royal family of Ras Al Khaimah. The ceremony which took place in 2016 was a regal affair, and was attended by the who’s who of Dubai. The wedding hall was decked in hundreds of white, rose-shaped lamps which gave the venue an ethereal look. The platter was magnificent and the bride and groom were both impeccable dressed.
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Even the wedding card was engraved in gold and one of the top designers was appointed to design the wedding logo. Post their nuptials, Shaikh Faisal commissioned a beautiful poem for Latifa, and published it on Instagram.
One of the most lavish and expensive Middle Eastern royal weddings ever - the nuptials of Shah of Iran and Princess Soraya involved a Dior wedding gown, and we must talk about it. The Princess was an actress before she got married - think of her as the Grace Kelly of UAE. The nuptials took place in 1951 and Princess Soraya’s engagement ring alone cost millions as they consisted of 22.37 carats of diamonds.
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The custom designed Christian Dior gown was made with trimmed feathers and pearls, and is easily one of the most beautiful wedding gowns ever. Sadly the Shah’s marriage to the Princess only lasted seven years.
The Dowager Queen of Jordan, Noor, had one of the most perfect UAE weddings ever. The American-born ex Queen consort, born Lisa Najeeb Halaby, married King Hussein in 1978 and became Queen of Jordan. Though the couple had a traditional muslim nuptial ceremony, the bride wore a stellar, custom-made A-line gown with a veil. The gown had some intensive embroidery too.
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The Queen, who is a Princeton graduate, is also known for her humanitarian work across the world. The King and the Queen enjoyed 21 years of marriage, until he sadly passed away in 1999.
Shah Mohammad’s half-sister, Princess Fatimeh married American tycoon Vincent Lee Hillyer in 1950 in an incredible Italian civil ceremony at Paris’ Iranian Embassy, which would make Kim and Kanye jealous. Interestingly, Hillyer had to convert to Islam, to marry Princess Fatimeh, and the marriage was obviously quite unusual by ‘50s standards. Their wedding was very posh and had a stellar guest list which included the who’s who of Hollywood like the iconic Rita Hayworth.
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Though the couple welcomed three children together, they divorced in 1959.
Queen Alia, who sadly died in an helicopter crash in 1977 at the age of 28, was one of the most loved royals names in the Middle East. Born Born Alia Baha ud-din Toukan, she was the daughter of Jordan’s first United Nations. She married King Hussein in 1972 in a lavish private ceremony.
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Alia who was known for her beauty and elegance was one of the youngest monarchs of UAE, actively working as a State leader. Her wedding was attended by the most notable names in UAE and even made the cover of international magazines. Alia and Hussein had three children together.
Shah of Iran Mohammad Reza Pahlavi’s marriage was to Egyptian Princess Fawzia Fuad was an exceptionally beautiful ceremony - almost out of Great Gatsby’s pages. Princess Fawzia was the daughter of King Fuad I, and married the famous Shah at a splendid ceremony in Cairo in 1939. The Princess wore a custom-made vintage floor-length gown and some extraordinary traditional diamond jewellery.
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Fawzia was the Queen of Iran till 1948, which was the year she divorced the Shah.
Princess Basma was the only daughter of King of Jordan, Talal, and Queen Zein married Colonel Timoor Daghistani in 1970 in a traditional ceremony. Basma was not just an Oxford graduate, but also relentlessly worked for charities, especially for women’s rights. The ceremony was talked about for days and was one of the most expensive embellishments involved.
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They had two children, but their marriage only lasted a few years, and they divorced in the late ‘70s.