Who Is Oksana Voevodina? The Russian Beauty Queen Who Married Malaysia's King Muhammad V

IN 2018, an incident shocked many people. It involved a Russian model and the Sultan of Kelantan. The 25-year-old Russian beauty queen became a real-life queen after marrying a Malaysian monarch who was 49 years old at the time. The Russian beauty queen in question was Oksana Voevodina, who won the Miss Moscow title in 2015.

She married the 15th Yang di-Pertuan Agong (King of Malaysia), Muhammad V, as his third wife. The marriage came as a shock to many people, but their story did not last long. Their relationship quickly became one of the most talked-about royal stories on Malaysian and Russian social media.

How Oksana Voevodina Married Malaysia's King Muhammad V 

Oksana Voevodina became Muhammad V's third wife following his first wife, Tengku Zubaidah Tengku Norudin, whom he married in 2004 but later divorced in 2008, and his second wife, Sultanah Nur Diana Petra. Before the marriage, the Russian beauty queen converted to Islam, changing her name to the Muslim name Rihana Oksana Petra to fulfill the religious requirement to marry the Sultan.

See Also: Who is Deepak Gahlawat? Haryana IPS Officer Arrested by CBI in Bribery Case Linked to ₹5,000-Crore Puducherry Fake Medicine Scam

According to some media reports, the couple secretly married in June 2018 in a private ceremony. Later, they held a public wedding reception in Moscow in November 2018. Photographs from the ceremony showed the Sultan wearing a traditional Malaysian national tunic, while Oksana wore an elaborate white gown decorated with crystals.

Their marriage attracted worldwide attention because of their backgrounds. Oksana had no royal heritage and was more than 20 years younger than the Sultan, while Muhammad V was one of Malaysia's most prominent monarchs. Malaysia has nine hereditary Sultans who serve as the heads of Islam in their respective states, with one Sultan serving as the country's King on a rotational basis.

The marriage was controversial and sparked criticism among many conservative Malaysians. They questioned Oksana's background as a Russian model and her reported participation in reality TV shows. Her appearance on the television program faced intense media scrutiny, with claims related to her participation before she met the Sultan.

Soon after their marriage, the King abdicated the throne in January 2019, even though his official term had begun in 2016 and was supposed to end in 2021. The decision shocked many, as he became the country's first monarch to voluntarily step down before completing his five-year term.

Sultan and Rihana's Child and Marriage Fallout

Despite all the speculation and controversy, the couple remained together and welcomed their first child. Rihana became pregnant and gave birth to their son, Leon, in May 2019. Soon afterward, reports began to emerge that the couple had ended their marriage. As rumors about their relationship intensified, Oksana's followers flooded her Instagram account with messages and questions asking whether they had actually divorced.

See Also: “Oscar Winning Script”: BJP's New Ad on Jantar Mantar Protest and Dharmendra Pradhan's Resignation Draws Online Backlash

Months later, reports claimed that the two had indeed divorced. According to media reports, the couple ended their marriage under Islamic law through triple talaq. In this process, the Sultan reportedly pronounced the word "talaq" (divorce) three times to divorce Oksana. According to media organizations, their divorce certificate was dated July 1, 2019.

After the couple separated, Rihana decided to leave Malaysia and return to Europe to restart her life. She now lives with her son, Ismail Leon, in London, United Kingdom.

Who Is Oksana Voevodina, Also Known as Rihana Oksana Petra?

Rihana Oksana Petra was not an unknown name. Born in Taganrog, Russia, she was a former beauty queen who won the Miss Moscow title in 2015. Oksana grew up in a cultured family. Her father was an orthopedic surgeon, and her mother was a violinist. Since childhood, she had dreamed of achieving global recognition, and modeling gave her the opportunity to enter the world of fashion and luxury lifestyles.

She graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Economics from the Plekhanov Russian University of Economics. After winning the Miss Moscow pageant, she said that she had founded her own swimwear and beach fashion brand, describing it as one of her hobbies. She also previously ran a small swimwear label, but later closed it after marrying the Malaysian King.

(Edited by Harsh Pandey)

Suggested Reading: