Meet Princess Ilyana of Pahang: The royal bride who married a British Ferrari GT3 racing driver
While Princess Ilyana comes from one of Malaysia's royal families, her husband has built his career on international motor racing.
- Aug 13, 2026,
- Updated Aug 13, 2026 8:55 PM IST
A Malaysian royal wedding brought together two very different worlds on Friday, August 7, as Tengku Puteri Raja Tengku Puteri Ilyana Alia, daughter of the Sultan of Pahang, married British racing driver Christopher Lionel Froggatt in Kuala Lumpur.
Princess Ilyana, 29, is the daughter of Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah, the Sultan of Pahang who served as Malaysia's king from 2019 to 2024. Her mother, Julia Rais, is a former actress. The bride married Froggatt, 32, who competes in the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup, Town & Country reported.
The wedding ceremony was held at the Shangri-La hotel in Kuala Lumpur, with Sultan Abdullah attending the solemnisation. Other members of the Pahang royal family were also present, including Regent of Pahang Tengku Hassanal Ibrahim Alam Shah and his younger siblings, according to The Star.
A ceremony rooted in tradition
The wedding followed Islamic 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 proceedings 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.
The Kesultanan Pahang said members of the Pahang Royal Household attended the ceremony. Among the guests were Crown Prince of Pahang Tengku Hassanal Ibrahim Alam Shah and other members of the royal family.
Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail, the Chief Minister of Pahang, was also among those present. Sheik Mohammed bin Hamad bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan of the United Arab Emirates also attended.
Images from the ceremony showed the bride and groom seated together in traditional attire during the proceedings.
The royal heirloom worn by Princess Ilyana
For her wedding, Princess Ilyana wore Queen Azizah's Diamond Tiara, a dramatic heirloom piece from the Pahang royal collection.
She paired the tiara with a gown designed by Malaysian designer Radzuan Radziwill, bringing together a traditional royal jewel with a contemporary Malaysian bridal look.
The wedding also highlighted Princess Ilyana's connection to Malaysia's unique system of monarchy. Her father, Sultan Abdullah, is the sixth Sultan of Pahang and served as the country's 16th King.
Unlike monarchies where one royal family remains on the national throne, Malaysia has nine hereditary royal families. The Conference of Rulers elects one of the nine state rulers as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, or King of Malaysia, for a five-year term.
Sultan Abdullah remains the ruler of Pahang, one of the nine states whose hereditary rulers form part of the country's royal system.
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Who is Christopher Lionel Froggatt?
While Princess Ilyana comes from one of Malaysia's royal families, her husband has built his career on international motor racing.
Froggatt, 32, is a British racing driver who competes in the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup. He drives a Ferrari 296 GT3 and has competed in Ferrari Challenge and GT3 racing.
His official biography on Tempesta Racing traces his interest in cars back to childhood. He also grew up riding quad bikes and taking part in motocross.
Unlike many professional racers who enter the sport at a young age, Froggatt arrived at car racing at 24. A Ferrari high-performance driving event at the company's test track in Fiorano, Italy, proved to be a major turning point.
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 has since established himself in GT racing. His listed achievements include winning the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Bronze Cup in 2021 and 2023, as well as the GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup Pro-Am title in 2020.
His marriage to Princess Ilyana now adds a royal chapter to a racing career that began relatively late but has taken him onto some of Europe's biggest GT racing grids.
A Malaysian royal wedding brought together two very different worlds on Friday, August 7, as Tengku Puteri Raja Tengku Puteri Ilyana Alia, daughter of the Sultan of Pahang, married British racing driver Christopher Lionel Froggatt in Kuala Lumpur.
Princess Ilyana, 29, is the daughter of Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah, the Sultan of Pahang who served as Malaysia's king from 2019 to 2024. Her mother, Julia Rais, is a former actress. The bride married Froggatt, 32, who competes in the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup, Town & Country reported.
The wedding ceremony was held at the Shangri-La hotel in Kuala Lumpur, with Sultan Abdullah attending the solemnisation. Other members of the Pahang royal family were also present, including Regent of Pahang Tengku Hassanal Ibrahim Alam Shah and his younger siblings, according to The Star.
A ceremony rooted in tradition
The wedding followed Islamic 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 proceedings 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.
The Kesultanan Pahang said members of the Pahang Royal Household attended the ceremony. Among the guests were Crown Prince of Pahang Tengku Hassanal Ibrahim Alam Shah and other members of the royal family.
Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail, the Chief Minister of Pahang, was also among those present. Sheik Mohammed bin Hamad bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan of the United Arab Emirates also attended.
Images from the ceremony showed the bride and groom seated together in traditional attire during the proceedings.
The royal heirloom worn by Princess Ilyana
For her wedding, Princess Ilyana wore Queen Azizah's Diamond Tiara, a dramatic heirloom piece from the Pahang royal collection.
She paired the tiara with a gown designed by Malaysian designer Radzuan Radziwill, bringing together a traditional royal jewel with a contemporary Malaysian bridal look.
The wedding also highlighted Princess Ilyana's connection to Malaysia's unique system of monarchy. Her father, Sultan Abdullah, is the sixth Sultan of Pahang and served as the country's 16th King.
Unlike monarchies where one royal family remains on the national throne, Malaysia has nine hereditary royal families. The Conference of Rulers elects one of the nine state rulers as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, or King of Malaysia, for a five-year term.
Sultan Abdullah remains the ruler of Pahang, one of the nine states whose hereditary rulers form part of the country's royal system.
Must Read: 7UP is changing its taste after 15 years — & Gen Z has a lot to do with it
Who is Christopher Lionel Froggatt?
While Princess Ilyana comes from one of Malaysia's royal families, her husband has built his career on international motor racing.
Froggatt, 32, is a British racing driver who competes in the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup. He drives a Ferrari 296 GT3 and has competed in Ferrari Challenge and GT3 racing.
His official biography on Tempesta Racing traces his interest in cars back to childhood. He also grew up riding quad bikes and taking part in motocross.
Unlike many professional racers who enter the sport at a young age, Froggatt arrived at car racing at 24. A Ferrari high-performance driving event at the company's test track in Fiorano, Italy, proved to be a major turning point.
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 has since established himself in GT racing. His listed achievements include winning the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Bronze Cup in 2021 and 2023, as well as the GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup Pro-Am title in 2020.
His marriage to Princess Ilyana now adds a royal chapter to a racing career that began relatively late but has taken him onto some of Europe's biggest GT racing grids.