It was the news that they had been waiting for. No weddings were allowed in England since late May due to the ongoing health crisis, but that changed on July 4th and Princess Raiyah of Jordan, (Raiyah bint Hussein), and her British journalist fiancé, Faris Ned Donovan, did not hesitate.
Earlier this week, Princess Raiyah and Donovan exchanged their vows in front of a very small group of family and friends — including the bride’s mother, Queen Noor, the widow of the late King Hussein of Jordan.
Several photos from the small yet exquisite ceremony have been shared online via Facebook and Instagram, and they showed that only four people attended the socially-distanced event.
Under the new guideline in place due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, no food, drink, and music were permitted at the intimate wedding.
The bride wore a gorgeous high-neck wedding gown and along with a veil. Her main accessory was a bejeweled headpiece that was made from one of her mother’s brooches.
Princess Raiyah, the half-sister of King Abdullah II of Jordan, and Donovan, the grandson of author Roald Dahl and actor Patricia Neal, got engaged in October 2019 after the pair met in India in 2018.
Princess Raiyah obtained a master’s degree in Japanese studies from Edinburgh University in Scotland and later got a master’s degree in Japanese literature from Columbia University. She is now working on a Ph.D. candidate in pre-modern Japanese literature at UCLA.
Princess Raiyah took to Twitter to thank the well-wishers and revealed that the wedding ceremony was supposed to take place in Jordan.
She wrote: “Thank you all for your kind messages on our wedding! While it was originally planned for April in Jordan, the pandemic derailed those plans, and it was safer for my husband’s family to hold it in the UK. God willing, we look forward to celebrating in Jordan once the situation allows.”
One supporter reacted to the wedding by saying: “She’s very beautiful but the groom seems like he has just graduated from school.”
A second commenter added: “Her dress is so beautiful. Beautiful place & few beloved people what a dream wedding ?.”
A third person decided to address the fact that the groom had to become a Muslim to marry his lady love and added: “Hmm, and why are Catholics / Orthodox Christians forever changing their faith to marry/marry Muslims? If Muslims refuse to accept Christianity, then it is logical and denied them to accept Islam.”
Princess Beatrice, the daughter of Prince Andrew, Duke of York, and Sarah, Duchess of York, and fiancé Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi canceled their wedding, scheduled for May 29th.
