Perak Raja Muda (Crown Prince) Nazrin Shah, 50, will tie the knot on May 17 with Zara Salim Davidson, 34, Perak's royal household said.
KUALA LUMPUR: One of Malaysia's most eligible bachelors, the crown prince of northern Perak state, is to marry a woman related to the country's first prime minister next week, reports said.
Perak Raja Muda (Crown Prince) Nazrin Shah, 50, will tie the knot on May 17 with Zara Salim Davidson, 34, Perak's royal household said in details released late on Tuesday through the official Bernama news agency.
Davidson is a chemical engineer and a former state swimmer, and the grand-niece of Malaysia's first prime minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman. The couple have known each other for eight years, the Star newspaper reported on Wednesday.
She will be proclaimed Perak's crown princess the day after their marriage.
The wedding has been the topic of intense speculation since the royal household late Monday announced the wedding through Bernama, without releasing details of the bride.
It said it would give details of the wedding in stages to prevent 'sensationalised reporting' and called on Malaysia's media to only use official information from the household, according to Bernama.
However, Malay-language publications Utusan Malaysia and Kosmo on Tuesday published Zara's details and a photo, earning the ire of the royal household.
Expressing regret and disappointment, the household said the newspapers had breached protocols on the proclamation which requires information to be released in stages.
"The information, including the photo, will be issued in stages after fulfilling several ceremonies," said the household's comptroller Raja Mansur Raja Razman through Bernama late on Tuesday.
The royal household was not available for further comment on Wednesday.
Nine of Malaysia's states have royal families, who are held in particular esteem as the nation's unique system requires the position of king to be rotated among them every five years.
Nazrin is the oldest son of the Sultan of Perak, Azlan Shah, and is the next in line for the throne when his father dies.
He has a swathe of academic qualifications, including a doctorate from Harvard University in politics, economics and government, according to the website for office of the Sultan.
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