Princess of Johor marries Dutchman in highly anticipated ceremony
The Princess of Johor Aminah Binti Sultan Ibrahim married her Dutch fiance on Monday (14 August) in a ceremony that has captivated people from both sides of the strait.
Tunku Tun Aminah, 31, and Dennis Muhammad Abdullah, 28, were pronounced husband and wife after a solemnisation ceremony at the royal family’s residence in Johor Bahru, Istana Bukit Serene. The ceremony, which followed Johor royal tradition, was witnessed by the family and friends of both the bride and groom.
Dennis Muhammad, dressed in a traditional “baju melayu teluk belanga”, affirmed his marriage to Tunku Aminah before the State Mufti, before being led to a room in the palace where he placed the wedding ring on the princess’s finger. He also gave her a “mas kahwin” or dowry of RM22.50 (S$7.00), according to the traditional wedding custom in Johor.
Earlier, the families of bride and groom had exchanged “hantaran” (dowries) in the form of trays laden with gifts, which were carried into the hall by Johor Military Force personnel.
The gifts that the groom received from the royal family included a copy of the Quran, a prayer mat, a gold ring, a set of traditional wear “baju melayu teluk belanga” and “sampin”, “sirih junjung” (betel nut leaf arrangement), a cake, the traditional “halwa maskat” dish and “bunga rampai” (flower potpourri).
The royal wedding ceremony will continue at night with the sitting-in-state ceremony at the Istana Besar, or Grand Palace, which will be attended by 1,200 guests.
Dennis Muhammad, who works for a property development company in Johor, was born Dennis Verbaas and converted to Islam in 2015.
A small crowd gathered at the gates of Istana Bukit Serene to catch a glimpse of the wedding, reported the New Straits Times. There was even at least one excited Singaporean fan of Princess Aminah amongst the crowd.
Zakir Zakaria, 22, who is from Tampines in Singapore, told the New Straits Times that he arrived at the palace with his father at around 6am. He even skipped his classes to be there for the ceremony.
“I adore her character and her compassion towards animals and others, especially seen after the big fire at the Sultanah Aminah Hospital last year. Her character captivates me,” he said.
Here are some more pictures of the wedding for your enjoyment:
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