A Russian beauty queen has become the first lady of Malaysia after marrying the country’s king. Oksana Voevodina married Malaysia’s Muhammad V of Kelantan, 49, in a lavish royal wedding ceremony in the Russian capital after reportedly converting to Islam earlier this year.
The 25-year-old doctor’s daughter, who won the title of Miss Moscow in 2015, has worked previously as a model in China and Thailand.
She is 24 years younger than the king, who is known as Yang di-Pertuan Agong and referred to as ‘Your Majesty’. The groom’s full name is Tengku Muhammad Faris Petra ibni Tengku Ismail Petra.
The ceremony took place on November 22 in a concert hall in the upscale Moscow suburb of Barvikha, reported Islam News.
The Malaysian ruler – an elected monarch who has been on the throne since 2016 succeeding his father – has not disclosed how the couple met.
Before becoming a royal bride Voevodina said: ‘When I was at school I was a kind of bandit.
‘I liked some skaters, bikes, VMX, guys who took part in competitions. I love riding a bike too.’
She said: ‘I think that the man must be the head of the family and of course shall not earn less than a woman.’
The wedding was alcohol free and all food was halal. The king was dressed in Malaysian national clothes, and the bride wore a white wedding dress.
She took the Muslim name Rihana and a picture of her in a hijab was posted on Twitter.