Happy birthday to Amir Khan's wife Faryal Makhdoom, who is celebrating her 27th birthday on Thursday. The makeup guru, who shares two children with her husband, will no doubt be spoilt rotten on her special day, with Amir taking to Instagram to pay tribute to his "queen". He wrote: "Happy birthday to my queen @faryalmakhdoom love from me, Lamaisah and Alayna." Read on for everything you need to know about the birthday girl…
Who is Faryal Makhdoom?
Faryal is a Pakistani-American businesswoman who hails from Staten Island, New York. She was still a student when she met Amir, reading journalism and political science at university. Apart from being a devoted mother and wife, Faryal runs her own cosmetics company, Faryal Cosmetics. On her official website, she sells everything from lipsticks to illuminators and her bio notes: "Good humour and hugs all around is what you will find at the Makhdoom household. Faryal is serious about her career in makeup, but when she is not working, she is cherishing family moments and can be found spending time with her loved ones, especially her daughters Lamaisah and Alayna. Faryal strives to be a role model for her little girls, showing them that sometimes, the king is a woman."
Take a peek at Amir and Faryal's wedding exclusive:
How did Amir Khan and Faryal Makhdoom meet?
The British world champion boxer and the stunning model met in 2011 in a busy restaurant overlooking the New York skyline, where they were introduced by mutual friends. "It was like being in a movie," Faryal told HELLO! in her wedding exclusive. "The week before, I'd seen his poster in New York and thought, 'Wow he's done well, there aren't many successful Pakistani athletes known in the US.'"
Amir, who was 26 at the time, was so bowled over by her that he immediately asked her friend for her number. "We clicked right away, he was really respectful towards me, he was really nice and different to other boys," said Faryal. Showing the softer side to his hard-man image, Amir admitted: "I've met so many girls but with Faryal it's something different. You can always tell – you get that feeling when you gel with someone. She's the perfect girl, the type I wanted to marry."
"We clicked right away," Faryal said of their meeting
When did Amir Khan and Faryal Makhdoom get married?
It wasn't long before Amir got down on one knee and popped the question to Faryal in January 2012. Sixteen months later in May 2013, the pair married in a wedding exclusively covered by HELLO! magazine. The first ceremony was held in Faryal's dream venue, the Waldorf Astoria in New York City. The couple said "I do" in front of 350 family members and friends. Faryal admitted that the wedding was "a little sad because I have to say goodbye to my family and begin my new life as Amir's wife in the UK". Amir explained: "The thing about my family is they always have a laugh, I knew it was going to be a crazy day. For Faryal's family it's a happy time but also sad, as they're giving their daughter away to be married and she's leaving everything behind in New York. So she's happy to be marrying me, but can't really celebrate like we can."
After being pronounced husband and wife, Faryal revealed what she hoped for. I prayed for a long and happy life together, and for his career – because in my religion we believe that after we say the vows, whatever we pray for comes true. Whilst I was signing the papers I saw my mum looking all teary and it made me upset, so I just tried not to look at her. I was like, 'I just can't look!'"
The couple married in May 2013
Although she was still young, the 21-year-old bride knew she was ready to wed. "I was smart in school and always wanted to go into law," she explained. "I always said I didn't want to marry early. I'd seen one of the girls in our community get married really young and thought, 'She's an idiot, why did she leave school and get married?' But it's funny, God does things in crazy ways and nothing goes the way you plan it. When it's right it's not a problem."
Amir, too, knew from the moment he met Faryal that she was special. "She was gorgeous, I knew I had to get in there and tie the knot quickly, before I got beaten up in too many fights and lost my looks," he joked. "We emailed and chatted for ages and really got on, I felt like I could tell her anything. She's always laughing and giggling, she never gets angry or anything. I've realised that when you're with someone like that, you're like that too. She's made me more calm."
Amir and Faryal with their firstborn, Lamaisah
How many children do Amir Khan and Faryal Makhdoom have?
Amir and Faryal welcomed their first child, a daughter Lamaisah in May 2014. The couple dote on their children, even throwing Lamaisah a lavish second birthday party that cost £100,000. The celebrations for 250 guests, which took Faryal three months to plan, included Disney princesses, Peppa Pig, a wall of flowers and a real-life ballerina. The party, held at the Bolton Wanderers football stadium, also featured a giant cake and a carousel. "My wife did an amazing job," Amir told HELLO! at the time. "I was busy training when she was planning this, but every day I was getting crazy bills and thinking, 'What's this for?' Every penny spent on my daughter is worth it, though. After all, all this hard work I do is for her, for my kid."
Amir with his younger daughter Alayna
Faryal explained: "I wanted it to be something really grand. Now I'm not doing anything until she's 16." She also admitted she was happier than ever after overcoming a brief period of adjustment when she moved to the UK from her native New York. "I had a rough patch at the beginning when I got married to Amir. But as I've lived with him he's showed me a lot of things I didn't know about him," she said. "He is such a good guy. Such a kind-hearted person. He's the type of guy that would give up things for his own happiness to make his wife and child happy. Now we're at a stage in our marriage where we're the happiest ever."
The couple welcomed their second child, another daughter Alayna, in April 2018. Amir shared the first picture of his adorable little girl and wrote: "With my new born ALAYNA KHAN. Welcome to the world. Weighing 8lbs 3oz."