Prince known as ‘Asia’s most eligible bachelor’ marries commoner: ‘Off the market’

News

By Elizabeth Karpen

A royal with movie-star looks who was dubbed Asia’s “most eligible bachelor” is officially off the market.

Prince Mateen of Brunei (Abdul Mateen ibni Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah), 32, tied the knot with Anisha Rosnah (Yang Amat Mulia Pengiran Anak Isteri Anisha Rosnah), 29, a commoner who owns a fashion label and a travel agency.

The tenth child of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, Prince Mateen is a British-trained military officer in Brunei’s armed forces and a helicopter pilot. He’s also represented his country in polo.

The prince is regularly called “hot” and “sexy” by his legions of fans online.

Prince Mateen’s looks and well-chiseled body have made him a social media sensation on Instagram, where he has more than 2.6 million followers.

His new wife is an entrepreneur who founded the fashion label Silk Collective and travel agency Authentirary.

The pair have known each other for years, with the prince sharing an adorable photo of them together as children.

The royal wedding took place over 10 days with about 5000 guests including royalty from Jordan and Saudi Arabia, along with Indonesian President Joko Widodo and Philippines President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos.

They were formally joined as a married couple in an Islamic ceremony with only male guests on Wednesday.

The newlyweds then took part in a wedding procession in an open-top Rolls-Royce waving to onlookers as they weaved through the capital, where their images had been displayed on street arches and building facades for days.

Many of the sultan’s subjects lined the streets under a scorching sun to catch a glimpse of the couple, with free ice cream on offer.

Hajah Aminah Abd Morsidee, 91, who has seen five royal weddings in her lifetime, said she was “happy to see Prince Mateen marrying the beautiful Anisha”.

Schoolteacher Norliha Mohamad Din, 37, said it was a “once-in-a-lifetime moment”.

“I have seen Prince Mateen since he was small,” she said. “I’m very happy for him. This is one way of showing appreciation to the royal family.”

Prince Mateen’s father is the fabulously rich Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, who is estimated to have a net worth of $AU44 billion ($US30 billion). He is the world’s longest reigning monarch and was once the richest man on the planet.

His extreme wealth is derived almost entirely from Brunei’s enormous oil and gas reserves.

As the 10th child and fourth son of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, Prince Mateen is unlikely to ever ascend the throne of the oil-rich country on the northern edge of Borneo island.

However, Prince Mateen’s rippling six-pack and sense of adventure – captured in photos and videos that are carefully curated on Instagram – have turned him into a public relations asset for the royal family, which has been battered by scandals and global censure over the years.

“He’s a breath of fresh air,” said Bruneian snack store worker Amyra Syahira Awang Ahmad, 20.

A pre-wedding photo of Mateen and his fiancee, Yang Mulia Anisha Rosnah, posted on Instagram on December 31 showed him wearing an open-neck white shirt under a dark, double-breasted blazer, while she was in a cream pantsuit and no hijab.

It drew more than 11,000 comments with some smitten followers lamenting that 2024 was starting with “heartbreak” – a reference to their own rather than the prince’s.

The photo appeared to be part of an effort to burnish a more modern image of the conservative country – and make the royal family relevant to a younger generation of Bruneians that has grown up on social media.

“Prince Mateen would be what I describe as an important youth change-maker in Brunei society,” said Mustafa Izzuddin, a visiting professor of international relations at the Islamic University of Indonesia.

“You can call him a cultural Instagrammer because he is adept at connecting with the younger folk,” he told AFP.

“The current generation have different interests, values and preferences.”

The ceremony received muted media coverage in Australia where the focus was on Australian-born Mary Donaldson’s elevation to the Danish throne as the Queen of Denmark alongside King Frederik X overnight.

However, Prince Abdul Mateen’s wedding was a major event in south-east Asia.

Winning hearts and minds

After more than five decades on the throne, the 77-year-old sultan needs to “refresh the social contract” between himself and his 450,000 subjects, according Izzuddin.

The absolute monarchy has seen its reputation tarnished in recent decades. There was a spectacular falling out between the sultan and his playboy younger brother Prince Jefri Bolkiah over allegations that Jefri had embezzled billions during his time as finance minister in the 1990s.

The country also faced a global backlash in 2019 when sharia law was added to its penal code, allowing for death by stoning and amputations of limbs for certain crimes.

The code, however, has not been actively enforced after an outcry from celebrities, the United Nations and rights campaigners.

Prince Mateen, who often accompanies his father on official visits abroad wearing Western-style suits, appears to be leading the way in winning over young hearts and minds.

His public profile has exploded on Instagram with posts showing him playing polo, boxing in a ring, dabbling in photography, and posing in military uniform.

One video shows the prince flying in a F/A 18 Super Hornet warplane.

It generated more than 250,000 likes and a comparison to Top Gun star Tom Cruise.

Other photos of Mateen’s well-chiselled upper body have drawn as many as more than half a million likes – and countless heart and lovestruck emojis.

“Hi James Bond 007!” one admirer commented on a photo of Prince Mateen walking bare-chested on a beach, with a jet ski and speedboat visible in the background.

University student Nazatul Izzati Saifulrizal, 19, proudly showed AFP a selfie she took with the prince, who she described as down-to-earth.

“He asked me about my studies… he asked about my family background,” she said, adding she felt “touched” by the gesture.

— with AFP