Malaysia’s Princess Ilyana, 29, married British GT racer Chris Froggatt, 32; the multi-day Kuala Lumpur wedding blended royal traditions with motorsport
Tengku Puteri Raja Tengku Puteri Ilyana Alia, daughter of the Sultan of Pahang, married British racing driver Christopher Lionel Froggatt in Kuala Lumpur on Friday, August 7.Princess Ilyana, 29, is the daughter of Sultan Abdullah, the Sultan of Pahang who served as Malaysia’s king from 2019 to 2024. Her mother is Julia Rais, a former actress. The bride married Froggatt, 32, who competes as a racing driver in the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup, Town and Country reported.The marriage ceremony was held in Kuala Lumpur, with Sultan of Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah attending the solemnisation. According to The Star, other members of the Pahang royal family were also present, including Regent of Pahang Tengku Hassanal Ibrahim Alam Shah and his younger siblings.The ceremony followed Islamic wedding traditions. According to the Kesultanan Pahang’s official Facebook page, Froggatt performed the sunnah prayer before the ceremony continued with the couple’s procession to the dais.The ceremony included the presentation of the ‘mas kahwin’ and the exchange of wedding rings. Prayers were then recited before the couple took part in the ‘merenjis’, a symbolic gesture associated with blessings and prayers for their well-being.
Sultan Abdullah of Pahang at his daughter’s wedding (Getty images)
A royal wedding
The Kesultanan Pahang said the ceremony was attended by members of the Pahang Royal Household. Among those present were Tengku Hassanal Ibrahim Alam Shah, the Crown Prince of Pahang, and other members of the royal family.Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail, the Chief Minister of Pahang, was also listed among the guests. Sheik Mohammed bin Hamad bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan of the United Arab Emirates was also present.The wedding took place at the Shangri-La hotel in Kuala Lumpur, according to Town & Country. Images from the ceremony showed the bride and groom seated together in traditional attire during the proceedings.For the wedding, Princess Ilyana wore Queen Azizah’s Diamond Tiara, described as a dramatic heirloom piece. She paired the tiara with a gown by Malaysian designer Radzuan Radziwill.The bride’s royal family background is closely linked to Pahang and Malaysia’s rotating monarchy. Her father, Sultan Abdullah, is the sixth Sultan of Pahang and was the 16th King of Malaysia.Malaysia’s throne is different from a monarchy in which the same royal family remains on the national throne permanently. The country has nine hereditary royal families, and the Conference of Rulers elects one of the nine state rulers to serve as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, or King of Malaysia, for a five-year term.The bride’s father Sultan Abdullah is also the ruler of Pahang, one of the nine states whose hereditary rulers take part in the country’s royal system.
The groom, Christopher Froggatt, 32, is a British racing driver (Getty images)
The racer husband
Princess Ilyana’s husband, Christopher Lionel Froggatt, has a career in international motor racing. The 32-year-old British driver competes in the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup.His official biography on Tempesta Racing describes his interest in cars as beginning during childhood. He also developed an interest in riding quad bikes and motocross while growing up.According to his racing biography, he arrived in the sport at the age of 24. A Ferrari high-performance driving event at the company’s test track in Fiorano, Italy, later became an important turning point in his move towards international motor racing.His official biography states, “A childhood love of cars, riding quad bikes and motocross from a young age all fuelled his fascination with speed, and his unfashionably late arrival on the car racing scene at 24 years of age.”It adds that an exploratory Ferrari high-performance driving event at Fiorano, which he attended as a guest of a close friend, “proved to be the turning point for Chris and his journey to the starting grid of international motor racing.”Froggatt, who drives a Ferrari 296 GT3, has competed in Ferrari Challenge and GT3 racing. His listed achievements include winning the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Bronze Cup in 2021 and 2023, and the GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup Pro-Am title in 2020.
