Brunei's Prince Mateen marries a commoner in grand ceremony

In the ongoing lavish 10-day event, Brunei's Prince Abdul Mateen, known as Asia's "most eligible bachelor", married his fiancee inside the gold-domed Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque in the country's capital, Bandar Seri Begawan. The solemnising ceremony following the opulent wedding took place on Thursday, officially legalising Prince Mateen and 29-year-old "commoner" (who belongs to a non-royal family) Anisha Rosnah Isa-Kalebic. The grandiose royal nuptial event will end on 16 January.

The 32-year-old prince is known for his prowess in polo; he is also a trained helicopter pilot and often termed "hot", "sexy", and related qualifiers; he also enjoys a strength of over 2.5 million Instagram followers.

The royal family of Brunei has net worth of around $28 billion, making Prince Mateen's father, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, one of the world's richest royals.

Being sixth in the line, Prince Mateen is unlikely to ascend the throne. However, the huge following on social media due to his matinee idol looks made him one of the highest-profile members of the royal family.

Mateen's wife Isa-Kalebic, is the granddaughter of the Sultan's special advisor and the founding chairperson of Royal Brunei Airlines. Isa-Kalebic reportedly runs a fashion brand called Silk Collective.

Prince Mateen and Isa-Kalebic reportedly dated for years before their engagement was announced last year in October.

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.