Princess Raiyah of Jordan marries Ned Donovan

Princess Raiyah of Jordan and Ned Donovan, the grandson of author Roald Dahl, tied the knot in a small ceremony in the UK after their April wedding was “derailed.”

Countless couples who had planned for a spring or summer wedding this year were forced to put their nuptials on hold in light of the crisis.

And royals are no exception,

with Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, who were due to get married back in May, among those who had to make alternative arrangements.

The pair have, however, been pipped to the post in becoming the first Royal Wedding amid the pandemic – a title instead secured this week by newlyweds Princess Raiyah bint Hussein of Jordan and Ned Donovan.

Princess Raiyah of Jordan and Ned Donovan, the grandson of author Roald Dahl, tied the knot in a small ceremony in the UK after their April wedding was “derailed.”

Princess Raiyah shared two pictures from their ceremony, which included a snapshot of her elegant outfit and Donovan signing documents.

The bride, 34, posted pictures from the ceremony on her Twitter account, and thanked well-wishers for their thoughtful messages.

Credit: Arabian Royal Agency“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,” she wrote.

Princess Raiyah is the daughter of the late King Hussein of Jordan and Queen Noor of Jordan, who was in attendance.

She is the half-sister of King Abdullah II of Jordan.

The couple got engaged on October 26, 2019. A royal statement at the time announced: “The Royal Hashemite Court extends its sincere congratulations to Her Royal Highness Princess Raiyah and to Mr Donovan on this occasion.”

26-year-old Donovan, who is a freelance journalist, converted to Islam ahead of the wedding and changed his name to Faris. He recently revealed on his website that he is currently learning Arabic, although his “Arabic is not very good” and he will “keep trying to improve it.”

It is not known where the pair were married, but it appeared to be a country estate where the pair posed in the garden for photographs.

The Jordanian princess revealed the original plan was to tie the knot in Jordan in April but “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,” she continued.

Princess Raiyah’s mother, Queen Noor, was able to attend the nuptials and was pictured with her daughter smiling in a blue outfit.

Princess Raiyah wore an elegant floor-length gown covered with floral lace, a long veil and a diamond and sapphire circlet.

Princess Raiyah (The Asahi Shimbun )

Donovan wore a morning coat, pale blue waistcoat and fuschia socks.

Other pictures showed the couple and four other attendees, including Queen Noor, sitting two metres apart from one another on chairs in a garden setting.

Princess Raiyah and Donovan got engaged in October. She is the fourth daughter of Queen Noor and the late King Hussein of Jordan and the half sister of King Abdullah II of Jordan.

The princess is an academic specialising in Japanese Studies with a master’s degree from Columbia University in New York. She is also working on a PhD in Japanese literature at UCLA. She has also previously studied in Japan.

Donovan is a freelance journalist with bylines in titles such as the New Statesman. According to The National, he converted to Islam ahead of their wedding. He previously revealed he has been learning Arabic, but is “not very good” at it.