Brunei rolls red carpet for crown prince's wedding

Dozens of princes and heads of state or government and other distinguished guests arrived here Wednesday to attend a grand wedding ceremony the following day of Crown Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah of Brunei Darussalam.

Ceremonies for the royal union between the 30-year-old heir to the throne and his bride Dayangku Sarah binti Pengiran Salleh Ab Rahaman, which started on August 26, will reach the climax Thursday with the holding of the "Bersanding" ceremony.

The ceremony is to be held at the Istana Nurul Iman, or the royal palace, which is a sight to marvel as the capital continues to be bathed in the limelight of colorful lighting and decorationsin anticipation of the Royal Wedding.

Among the first to arrive on Wednesday were the Duke of Gloucester, representing Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Charles of the United Kingdom, Indonesian President Megawati Soekarnoputri and Japan's Crown Prince Naruhito.

The Malay wedding ceremony, which has also gathered here more than 100 journalists and photographers from both home and abroad, will be followed by a procession around the city center during which the royal couple will board a Royal carriage and receive thegreetings and best-wishes from Brunei citizens and visitors.

The second and last rehearsal for the Royal Wedding procession was held Tuesday night with streets around the royal palace and along the motorcade's path sealed off, causing a traffic jam, rarely seen in the capital city.

Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Senior Ministers Goh Chok Tong and Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew and former Malaysian Prime Minister Dr. Mahathir Mohammed also flew in Wednesday.

Also expected at Thursday morning's ceremony were Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi along with the leaders and representatives of other ASEAN countries. Brunei is a member country of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

The royal families from Middle East countries will also be present at the ceremony, including Prince Saud and Prince Bandar of Saudi Arabia, King of Bahrain Sheikh Hamad bin isa al-Khalifa, among others.

The Royal Wedding Banquet, scheduled for Friday, will be attended by the Royal family and those distinguished guests and it will be followed by a fireworks display.

The wedding festivities will last until Sunday.

Source: Xinhua