"Thank you all for your kind messages on our wedding!" wrote Princess Raiyah on Twitter after the 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."
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 pic.twitter.com/moCMSOxZxp
— Raiyah bint Al-Hussein (@RaiyahHKJ) July 7, 2020
Donovan, 26, converted to Islam before the wedding and changed his name to Faris. He is a freelance journalist for the Daily Mail and The Times and is attempting to learn Arabic."I recently completed an intensive Modern Standard Arabic course, which taught me two things," wrote Donovan on his website. "That my Arabic is not very good, and that I will keep trying to improve it."
Princess Raiyah, the half-sister of King Abdullah II of Jordan, is the daughter of the late King Hussein and Queen Noor of Jordan. Queen Noor attended the wedding, which was held at her Windsor estate.The Jordanian ambassador in London was also in attendance, according to the Arabian Royal Agency. The ceremony followed coronavirus regulations.
The couple was engaged on October 26, 2019.
Princess Raiyah is the half-sister of Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein, the former wife of Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai.
Princess Haya fled from Dubai last year with her two children, according to the BBC. A court in the UK found that Sheikh Mohammed had abducted and forcibly returned two of his daughters after they attempted to flee from the family. Princess Haya fled after she felt that her life was in danger. The court was told that the sheikh threatened her and her children.