Russian beauty queen marries Malaysian Sultan in lavish royal ceremony

A Russian beauty queen has received a real-life royal title after marrying into Malaysia's monarchy.

Oksana Voevodina, 25, tied the knot with Sultan Muhammad V of Kelantan, one of the country's states.

In Malaysia, there are nine Sultans who carry out duties similar to a King. One of their main roles is to be the head of Islam within their state.

It's believed the former Miss Moscow converted to the religion in April, reports Islamic news outlet Rakyatku.

The couple married in Moscow at a lavish ceremony following strict Islamic traditions including being alcohol free with halal food.

Photos circulating on social media show the Sultan wearing a traditional Malaysian national tunic while the bride wore an elaborate white gown decorated with crystals.

It's believed she took the Muslim name Rihana and pictures have now emerged of her wearing a hijab.

She'll now be officially known as Rihana Oxana Gorbatenko.

The story has been gaining traction on Malaysian and Russian social media pages but so far Malaysia's government, or the palace Istana Negara, has issued a statement about the nuptials. It's believed the Sultan is on leave until the end of December.

The Mirror claims Voevodina is 24 years younger than her husband who is 49.

She rose to fame in 2015 when she was crowned Miss Moscow but little is known about her modelling career since then.