Malaysian royal love stories: who had a real life Emily In Paris courtship, why did Abdullah of Pahang and Tunku Azizah write so many love letters, and which polo-loving prince and princess still play together?

Feb 19 , 2021

3 couples, 3 unique love stories: Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin & Tunku Azizah; Tengku Zatashah & Aubry Mennesson, Tunku Ismail Idris and Khaleeda Bustamam. Photos: @airtangan_tunkuazizah @zatashah @ymchepuankhaleeda/Instagram

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry may take the lion’s share of international headlines, but these Malaysian royals’ stories are even more romantic in our book

For Tengku Zatashah, a Parisian job posting at L’Oreal led to a romantic encounter, while for Khaleeda Bustamam it was a classic case of love at first sight

While the lovebirds of the British monarchy regularly grace global magazine covers, Malaysian royals prefer to remain out of the spotlight. However that’s not to say they haven’t given us any glimpses into their private lives over the years.

After all, everyone loves a heartwarming love story, especially one where a prince meets a princess. From scribbling heartfelt love letters to a real-life Emily in Paris style story – here are three tales of Malaysia’s respected royal couples.

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Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin and Tunku Azizah

Malaysia’s ruling king and queen actually met when they were teenagers, but rarely spent time together until their early twenties as the then-Johor princess, Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah was not allowed to go on dates, according to the New Straits Times.

Still, it didn’t stop the then-Pahang prince Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin from writing love letters to his beloved. They married in March 1986, 13 years after they first set eyes on each other. While most royals would hire personal chefs, Tunku Azizah reportedly regularly cooks and bakes her own recipes such as fried noodles and chocolate muffins for her husband.

Tunku Ismail Idris and Khaleeda Bustamam

It was the polo playing skills of Tunku Ismail Idris, known as TMJ, that got his now wife’s attention. Photo: @ymchepuankhaleeda/Instagram

His younger brother may be the family’s headline stealer, but, fondly known as TMJ, Johor’s crown prince and heir to the state’s throne Tunku Ismail Idris described meeting Khaleeda during a local polo game as “love at first sight” during an interview with TV station Astro Awani.

She’d initially assumed he was a mere polo player and wasn’t aware of his blue blood status. The pair tied the knot in a private ceremony back in 2014 and now share many athletic hobbies together including horseback riding and football, as Tunku Ismail is also the president of the Johor state’s football club.