Kendra Spears has gone from American supermodel to an actual princess.
The 24-year-old Seattle native married Prince Rahim Aga Khan , the son of billionaire racehorse owner Aha Khan IV.
The two were only engaged for four months before exchanging vows at Bellerive Castle in Geneva, Switzerland. Their marriage was a simple Muslim ceremony before family and close friends, with Spears wearing natural makeup and a traditional dress accessorized with sparkling earrings.
After the wedding Kendra Spears thanked fans on Twitter, writing: “Thank you all for the kind tweets! We’re very excited!”
Spears is a big name in the modeling world, working for brands that include Emporio Armani, Calvin Klein, Chanel, Dolce & Gabbana, and Marc Jacobs. She was discovered in 2008 after winning a Ford Models contest, and has been likened to a young Cindy Crawford.
She’s also very media savvy, with a strong presence on Twitter . In fact, Kendra has been referred to by some as the first “Twitter princess,” though it remains to be seen if she will remain as active on the social medium after her royal wedding.
Kendra Spears is expected to adopt an Islamic name and convert to the religion after the wedding.
Prince Rahim, who graduated from Brown University and later from Navarra Business School in Barcelona, Spain, is the fourth Aga Khan, a religious title among Shia Ismaili Muslims. Aside from his royal duties he is also very involved in the Aga Khan Development Network, which works to reduce poverty around the globe.
Marrying models seems to be a tradition in the Khan family. Prince Rahim’s mother, Princess Salimah Aga Khan, was once known as Sarah Croker-Poole, a British supermodel. She and Aga Khan divorced in 1995.
Prince Rahim’s younger brother also married American model Kristin White, though the marriage lasted only five years.
Aga Khan’s daughter also married a male model, but her marriage too was short-lived.
Prince Rahim and Kendra Spears are likely hoping to buck that family trend.
