Russia to Host first royal wedding in a century

 

Norodom Sihamoni King of Cambodia

 Norodom Sihamoni (born 14 May 1953) is the King of Cambodia. He became King on 14 October 2004, a week after the abdication of his father, Norodom Sihanouk. He is the eldest son of King Sihanouk and Queen Norodom Monineath and was Cambodia's ambassador to UNESCO, prior to his selection by a nine-member throne council to become the next king. Before ascending to the throne, Sihamoni was educated in Czechoslovakia and was best known for his work as a cultural ambassador in Europe and as a classical dance instructor.

The then Prince Sihamoni first began his education in 1959, where he attended Norodom School, followed by Descartes School in Phnom Penh, developing a keen interest in the arts early on in his life.

In 1962 the young Sihamoni was sent to Prague, in then Czechoslovakia, by his father to study abroad. During the 1970 Cambodian coup d'état by Lon Nol, Sihamoni remained in Czechoslovakia. There, he completed his elementary and secondary education and was regarded as an able student, getting high marks. He also further developed his interest in the performing arts, undertaking courses in this field at the National Prague Conservatory, excelling top of his class. Furthermore, he attained great fluency in Czech. A movie directed by Vladimir Sís was shot about the prince in Prague in 1967, under the name "The Other Little Prince (Jiný malý princ).

Between 1971 and 1975, he completed his higher education in classical dance and music at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague, culminating with the attainment of a Master's degree for which he did a thesis titled "The Conception and Administration of Artistic Schools in Cambodia." After graduation in 1975 he left Prague and began to study filmmaking in North Korea.

However, in 1976, was forced to come back to Cambodia after having been deceived by the Khmer Rouge. Immediately, the ruling Khmer Rouge regime headed by Pol Pot turned against the monarchy, and put the royal family including Sihamoni, his brother Prince Norodom Narindrapong, his mother Queen Norodom Monineath, his father King Norodom Sihanouk under house arrest in the Royal Palace during much of the period of Democratic Kampuchea. The consequent Cambodian genocide saw several members of the wider royal family killed. With the 1979 Vietnamese Invasion, that ousted the Khmer Rouge, the family was airlifted to China and Sihamoni subsequently worked as a secretary for his father.

In 1981 he moved to France to teach ballet as a Professor of Classical dance and Artistic Pedagogy, a position which he held for almost two-decades, and was also later president of the Khmer Dance Association there. He lived in France for nearly 20 years and continued his pursuit in the arts, including establishing 'Ballet Deva', an original dance troupe. During this time, he undertook monkhood as well under the auspices of Bour Kry, who would later become a supreme patriarch of Cambodia.

The year 1993 saw the prince being appointed Cambodia's permanent representative to UNESCO in Paris, a role he held right until he became King in 2004. In this role he became known for his hard work and his devotion to Cambodian culture. He had previously refused an appointment as Cambodia's ambassador to France.

On 14 October 2004 he was selected by a special nine-member council, part of a selection process that was quickly put in place after the surprise abdication of King Norodom Sihanouk a week before. Prince Sihamoni's selection was endorsed by Prime Minister Hun Sen and National Assembly President Prince Norodom Ranariddh (the new king's half-brother), both members of the privy council. King Sihanouk backed the decision as well. He was inaugurated and formally appointed as King on 29 October 2004 in a coronation ceremony centered at the royal residence in the capital. In his first speech as monarch, he pledged to be a king of the people who will be a “faithful and loyal servant” of the nation and that he shall “never live apart from the beloved people."

King Sihamoni and his parents, King Father Norodom Sihanouk and Queen Mother Norodom Monineath, specifically requested that the ceremonies not be lavish because they did not wish the impoverished country to spend too much money on the event. On 29 October 2014, there were celebrations to mark the 10th anniversary of his coronation

Sharafuddin of Selangor Sultan of the Malaysian state of Selangor

 Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah Al-Haj Ibni Almarhum Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Al-Haj (born 24 December 1945) is the ninth and current Sultan of the Malaysian state of Selangor. He ascended the throne on 22 November 2001, succeeding his father, Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah.

Sharafuddin was born on 24 December 1945, at Istana Jema'ah, Klang, as the first son of the Raja Muda (Crown Prince) of Selangor, Tengku Abdul Aziz Shah and his first wife, Raja Saidatul Ihsan binti Tengku Badar Shah (born. 1923–2011). He was named Tengku Idris Shah at birth. His father was the eldest son of Hisamuddin of Selangor and Raja Jemaah, who later became the second Yang di-Pertuan Agong and Raja Permaisuri Agong of Malaysia. His mother was the grandchild of both Sulaiman of Selangor and Abdul Jalil of Perak. As such, his parents were first cousins.

He received his primary education at Malay Primary School, Kuala Lumpur when he was nine. He then attended St. John's Institution from 1954 until 1959.

In 1960, his father became the Sultan of Selangor, taking the regnal name Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah. In the same year, Sharafuddin was proclaimed the Raja Muda of Selangor at age fifteen. He was sent abroad to continue his education, attending the Hale School in Perth, Western Australia, from 1960 and later Langhurst College in Surrey, United Kingdom, from 1964.

Sharafuddin married thrice.

In 1968, as Tengku Idris, he married Raja Zarina binti Raja Tan Sri Zainal. The marriage ended in divorce in 1986. Sharafuddin and Raja Zarina have two children:

Tengku Zerafina (born 1969), currently an entrepreneur based in London. She married Colin Salem Parbury on 5 December 2004.

Tengku Zatashah (born 1973), currently the CEO of Light Cibles Malaysia, and an environmental activist. She married Aubry Rahim Mennesson (born 1972), a French, at the Grand Mosque of Paris, France on 10 November 2007. A wedding reception was held on 28 February 2008 at Istana Alam Shah, Klang.[18]

In 1988, Tengku Idris married American-born Nur Lisa Idris binti Abdullah (née Lisa Davi). They divorced in 1997 and have one child:

Tengku Amir Shah (born 1990), the current Raja Muda of Selangor.

In August 2016, as Sultan, he married television personality Norashikin Abdul Rahman, now known as Tengku Permaisuri Norashikin. The solemnisation ceremony was performed by Selangor Mufti Datuk Mohd Tamyes Abd Wahid at Masjid Istana Diraja in Istana Alam Shah, Klang and were witnessed by Selangor deputy mufti Dr Anhar Opir, Imam Mohd Rasid Mahful, former deputy mufti of Selangor Datuk Abdul Majid Omar and Selangor Islamic Religious Council member Datuk Salehuddin Saidin.[

After returning from the United Kingdom in 1968, Sharafuddin joined the government as a public servant, and was attached to the Selangor State Secretariat under the administration of Menteri Besar Harun Idris. He served in the Kuala Lumpur District Office and Kuala Lumpur police department.[2][4]

On 1970, he was formally installed and took oath as the 8th Raja Muda of Selangor in a ceremony held at Istana Alam Shah, Klang.

On 24 April 1999, he was appointed as Regent of Selangor after his father became the eleventh Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg

 Henri von Nassau (born 16 April 1955) is the Grand Duke of Luxembourg, reigning since 7 October 2000. He is the eldest son of Grand Duke Jean and Princess Joséphine-Charlotte of Belgium, and a first cousin of King Philippe of Belgium. In 2019, Henri’s net worth was estimated around US$4 billion

Prince Henri was born on 16 April 1955, at the Betzdorf Castle in Luxembourg as the second child and first son of Hereditary Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg and his wife, Princess Joséphine-Charlotte of Belgium. His father was the eldest son of Grand Duchess Charlotte of Luxembourg by her husband, Prince Félix of Bourbon-Parma. His mother was the only daughter of King Leopold III of Belgium by his first wife, Princess Astrid of Sweden. The prince's godparents were the Prince of Liège (his maternal uncle) and Princess Marie Gabriele (his paternal aunt).

Henri has four siblings: Archduchess Marie Astrid of Austria (born 1954), Prince Jean of Luxembourg (born 1957), Princess Margaretha of Liechtenstein (born 1957) and Prince Guillaume of Luxembourg (born 1963). On 12 November 1964, when Henri was nine, his grandmother's abdication and his father's subsequent accession as grand duke made him heir apparent. As the grand duke's eldest son, he automatically took the title of hereditary grand duke. 

Henri was educated in Luxembourg and in France, where he obtained his baccalaureate in 1974, after which he undertook military officer training at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, England on the Standard Military Course (SMC) 7. He then studied political science at University of Geneva and the Graduate Institute of International Studies, graduating in 1980

While studying in Geneva, Henri met the Cuban-born María Teresa Mestre y Batista, who was also a political science student. They married in Luxembourg in a civil ceremony on 4 February 1981 and a religious ceremony on 14 February 1981 with the previous consent of the grand duke, dated 7 November 1980 and they remain married. The couple has five children: Guillaume, Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg, Prince Félix of Luxembourg, Prince Louis of Luxembourg, Princess Alexandra of Luxembourg, and Prince Sébastien of Luxembourg.

Sirajuddin of Perlis the 7th and current Raja of Perlis

 Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin ibni Almarhum Tuanku Syed Putra Jamalullail (born 17 May 1943) is the 7th and current Raja of Perlis, reigning since 17 April 2000. He served as the 12th Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia from 13 December 2001 to 12 December 2006.

Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin was born in Arau, Perlis, the second of ten children of Almarhum Tuanku Syed Putra Jamalullail and Tengku Budriah binti Almarhum Tengku Ismail. He studied at the Arau Malay School until standard two, then from 5 January 1950 he continued his primary education at Wellesley Primary School in Penang followed by Westland Primary School until the end of 1955. Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin began his secondary education at Penang Free School on 9 January 1956 and later left for England to study at Wellingborough School for four years until 1963. He underwent training as a Cadet Officer at the Royal Military Academy in Sandhurst, England, from January 1964 until December 1965.

Upon his return from England, Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin served with the Ministry of Defence Malaysia. His first post was as Second Lieutenant in the 2nd Regiment of the Malaysian Reconnaissance Corps on 12 December 1965. In 1966, he was transferred to Sabah and then to Sarawak in 1967. He then served in Pahang for several years until he resigned on 31 December 1969 to return to Perlis. He was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant in December 1967.

In 1970, he served in the armed forces again, as Captain of the Local Territorial Army from 16 November 1970 until 1 October 1972. He was promoted to Major on 1 October 1972. Presently, he is the Commanding Officer of Regiment 504 of the Army Reserve Unit with the rank of Colonel.

On 15 February 1967 he married Tengku Fauziah binti Almarhum Tengku Abdul Rashid D.K., S.S.P.J., S.P.M.P. (born 6 June 1946 (age 75)) at Kota Bharu, Kelantan, daughter of Tengku Temenggong Tengku Abdul Rashid ibni Almarhum Sultan Sulaiman Badrul Alam Shah of Terengganu, by his wife Tengku Maharani Putri Tengku Kembang Puteri binti Almarhum Sultan Ibrahim of Kelantan, who became the Raja Puan Muda of Perlis. Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin was appointed for the first time as the Regent of Perlis when the Raja of Perlis and the Raja Perempuan of Perlis travelled to the United States and Europe from 23 June 1967 until 24 October 1967.

Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin has one son and one daughter :

His Royal Highness Tuanku Syed Faizuddin Putra, Raja Muda of Perlis (born on 30 December 1967)

Her Highness Sharifah Fazira, Tengku Puteri Mahkota of Perlis (born on 5 June 1973).

Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin has travelled to many countries including United Kingdom, France, Germany, Denmark, Austria, Italy, Switzerland, Egypt, Spain, Libya, the Netherlands, Belgium, Thailand and Saudi Arabia.

Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin is also active in sports. Among his favourite sports are golf, tennis, football and is a fan of Tottenham Hotspur football club. He has been the Chairman of Putra Golf Club, Perlis since May 1971, and the patron of the Association of Football Referees of Perlis since 1967. He was also the Chairman of the Football Association of Perlis for 18 years.

Mohammed VI of Morocco

 Mohammed VI (born 21 August 1963) is the King of Morocco. He belongs to the Alaouite dynasty and ascended to the throne on 23 July 1999 upon the death of his father, King Hassan II.

Upon ascending to the throne, the king initially introduced a number of reforms, and changed the family code Mudawana which granted women more power. Leaked diplomatic cables from WikiLeaks have led to allegations of corruption in the court of King Mohammed VI, implicating the king and his closest advisors. Widespread disturbances in 2011, a Moroccan element of the Arab Spring, protested against corruption and urged the need for political reform. In response, King Mohammed VI promulgated a program of reforms and introduced a new constitution. These reforms were passed by a public referendum on 1 July 2011.

The king has vast business holdings across several economic sectors in Morocco. His net worth has been estimated at between US$2.1 billion and over US$5 billion, and, according to the American business magazine Forbes, he was the richest king in Africa in 2014, and the 5th richest king in the world.

Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa King of Bahrain

 Hamad bin Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa (28 January 1950) is King of Bahrain since 14 February 2002, after ruling as Emir of Bahrain from 6 March 1999. He is the son of Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa, the previous and first emir. The country has been ruled by the Al Khalifa dynasty since 1783.