AMMAN — Jordan’s Princess Raiyah Bint Al-Hussein and Ned Donovan have tied the knot. Donovan is a grandson of noted children’s author Roald Dahl, Ned Donovan.
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.
Donovan, 26, is a freelance journalist. He converted to Islam ahead of the wedding and changed his name to Faris.
The marriage was set in Jordan in April, however, due to the coronavirus pandemic, the newly-weds tied the knot in an intimate ceremony in the UK, surrounded by close friends and family.
The bride, 34, posted pictures from the ceremony on her Twitter account, and thanked well-wishers for their thoughtful messages. “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.
The couple got engaged on Oct. 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.”
Donovan 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.” — SG