Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales, looked stunning in a soft pink floor-length gown for the wedding of Jordan's Prince Hussein and his bride Raja Alseif.
The 41 year old royal mum-of-three attended the ceremony with her husband Prince William, 40, as the couple cut incredibly elegant figures in their formal attire.
The couple were surprise guests at the lavish nuptials, joining heads of state and world leaders, as well as the Prince of Wales' cousin Princess Beatrice, 34, and her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi.
William and Kate flew to Jordan’s capital Amman for the open-air ceremony attended by about 140 guests, where they watched Crown Prince Hussein, 28, marry his Saudi Arabian bride Rajwa, 29.
King Abdullah II and Queen Rania of Jordan proudly watched as their son was wed during an Islamic marriage ceremony known as a “katb ktab” held in a gazebo in the garden of the Zahran Palace and conducted by the Royal Hashemite Court Imam Dr Ahmed Al Khalaileh.
Jordan’s ruling monarch and his wife greeted the guests when they arrived and warmly shook hands and kissed the prince and princess, with William nodding his head as a mark of respect when he met the king.
Kate also curtseyed the monarch in a special moment as the group were all smiles.
A few minutes later Beatrice arrived with her husband Edoardo, and the princess opted for a white and blue embroidered sparkly gown that also featured a high neckline and long sleeves for the demure ceremony.
King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands, Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame and US First Lady Jill Biden were also all in attendance at the ceremony.
Kate's blush-pink high-neck gown was designed by popular Lebanese designer Ellie Saab, who is known for her traditional wedding gowns and styles with celebrities and royals alike.
After the royal nuptials, several women performed Zaghrata – ululation – a joyous sound commonly used to express happiness at Jordanian and Arab celebrations, and the newly-weds greeted their guests.
The prince and princess have ties with Jordan, with Kate’s family living in Amman for a few years in the mid-1980s when she was a young girl.
William and Kate also took their own children on a holiday to the Middle Eastern country in 2021.
Queen Rania is a member of the Earthshot Prize Council, the judging panel for William’s environmental prize which this year will be staged in Singapore.
William visited Jordan in 2018 and was joined on a number of official visits by Crown Prince Hussein, and when the two men met after the ceremony they hugged.
The event was screened live online and the prince was seen chatting to the bride and pointing to the very long train of her white wedding dress.
William and Kate’s trip to Jordan was not announced in advance and their arrival was only confirmed by Jordanian state media a few hours before the start of the wedding ceremony.
The wedding comes after a difficult period for Jordan’s monarchy, including a public rift between the king and his half-brother, with some commentators interpreting the national celebrations as a way of shoring up public support at a time of persistent economic difficulties.
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