The Excitement - Royal Wedding of the Century

Long before the much talked about Britain's Royal Wedding, centuries ago right in the heart of the Malay Archipelago, there was a great and mammoth Royal Wedding of the century... It was the wedding between the Sultan of Melaka and Raden Emas Ayu, the daughter of the Betara Majapahit. It was a royal, extravagant and regal event which narrated as below: " ... The King of Melaka had a ritual bath performed, employing a complete set of toiletries. When it was completed, he dressed in the most magnificent costume, after which he placed the Seguntang Hill crown on his head, and wore the clasp and the cross belt, both decorated with gems and precious stones... When his Majesty had dressing, the royal elephant was decorated, its entire caparison was of gold and inlaid with gemstones, so many were they that its body could not be seen...." As for Raden Emas Ayu, she " ... was adorned with all manner of magnificent costumes, first with a long sarong skirt with triple octagonal pendants, a silver comb and hair pins, studded with rubies, the handiwork of renowned Javanese craftsmen, and inlaid with more rubies ... She wore carved bracelets clustered with full gems, three a piece on each wrist, ... her hair in small buns, her teeth flawlessly white, lips crimson and extremely sweet; she resembled a limitless ocean of honey... She was like the candle in a lantern..." It was narrated that when all preparations were completed, the King of Melaka mounted the royal elephant accompanied by the royal orchestra and " soon all the musical instruments - the drums, flutes, rattles, clarinets, flageolets, lutes, xylophones and trumpets - there were forty kinds in all being played, wonderfully melodious were their sound ...." As the procession of the King of Melaka stepped forward ceremoniously to the Istana Majapahit to wed Raden Emas Ayu, it was narrated that the folks of Majapahit were in a festive and euphoria mood as narrated below: " ... those with children left them anxious to catch a glimpse of His Majesty; all the married women left their husbands; some with hair buns undone; ....; some ran and fell, to stand up and run again; some who had just powdered half their faces, but scurried off anyway to steal a look, some who had just oiled half their hair rushed to take a peek; and many were those who fell and hurt their faces, but covered them and still went to see the King, saying: "When else shall we have another chance to see a King in procession?". Hmmmmm, what an occasion!! To Kate Paddleton and hubby, you were beaten centuries ago .... Till we meet again....