Ex-King of Malaysia reveals 'regrets' after marrying Russian beauty queen

The former King of Malaysia had admitted that he "regrets his personal choices" after marrying a Russian beauty queen and giving up his throne last year.

Sultan Muhammad V and Oksana Voevodina wed in secret last year, but the former King abdicated his throne in January, reportedly after footage emerged of his wife naked in a pool on a reality show.

Though he remains the ruler of Kelantan province, his abdication was the first since the country was released from British rule in 1957.

In May the pair welcomed a son, Leon, but filed for divorce just one month later, though Voevodina initially denied the split.

Now the Sultan has publicly addressed his divorce following several social media posts from his former wife only fuelled speculation, Muhammad V dismissing her claims as "lies on social media."

In an official palace statement, the Sultan said that he "expresses his regret over the personal choices made in his private life that has caused confusion amongst the rakyat [people], leading to dissension on social media when fuelled with unreliable hearsay.

"The Kelantan Palace is deeply upset and condemns the dissemination of private pictures of His Royal Highness Sultan Muhammad V on social media and all inappropriate postings on His Royal Highness's personal and private matters on social media."

Voevodina has made several comments on her social media accounts - going by the name Rihana Petra on Instagram – that the Sultan has since branded "lies."

She initially denied that he had divorced her without her knowledge and later suggested that she would reveal more about their relationship and its breakdown soon.

However the Sultan appears to be getting ahead of any further social media commentary from his former wife, if the palace statement is anything to go by.

"The Kelantan Palace strongly denies any and all comments that are untrue and defamatory that were posted along with the pictures," the palace statement read.

"Henceforth, the Kelantan Palace has decided to deviate from the norm and respond to untrue and defamatory statements on social media to defuse the confusion such postings have caused amongst the rakyat [people]."

Voevodina is reportedly currently living in a country house near Moscow with her son, whom Muhammad V has also previously suggested may not be his child.