Jet-set life of glamorous London-based Russian beauty queen whose disastrous marriage to Malaysia’s king led to bitter paternity row… and his abdication
A Russian beauty queen who married Malaysia's Sultan Muhammad V in 2018 has seemingly put a major royal scandal behind her. Oxana Gorbatenko now lives in London, working in luxury real estate and enjoying a glamorous jet-set lifestyle far removed from the controversy that erupted when her husband abdicated in 2019.
The former Miss Moscow married the then-49-year-old Sultan at age 26 after they met at a beauty pageant, converting to Islam for the union. She was already pregnant when he abruptly abdicated in January 2019, and shortly after giving birth to son Leon in May that year, the couple divorced amid the Sultan's disputed claims about the child's paternity—allegations she has consistently denied. Her curated Instagram now showcases travel to St Moritz, Dubai and the Maldives, and she recently graduated from Imperial College London.
- Russian beauty queen married Malaysia's sultan in 2018, divorced after abdication.
- Paternity row erupted when she gave birth to their son Leon in 2019.
- She now lives in London working in luxury real estate with glamorous lifestyle.
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A Russian beauty queen married Malaysia's Sultan Muhammad V in 2018 after meeting him at a beauty pageant. She was 26, he was 49, and she converted to Islam to marry him.
The marriage soon ended in controversy. The Sultan abdicated from his throne in January 2019 whilst his wife was pregnant with their child, and the couple divorced shortly after the child's birth in May that year. The abdication was followed by disputes between the couple, including the Sultan's contested claims about the child's paternity, which his wife has denied.
Royal abdications are uncommon events that typically raise questions about a monarchy's stability and the circumstances involved. This case became significant in Malaysia because it involved not only an unexpected abdication but also a high-profile marriage breakdown and paternity dispute within the royal family.