Kendra Spears traded photo shoots for state dinners when she married Prince Rahim in 2013, and now the pair are expecting their first royal baby together.
Kendra, now known as Princess Salwa Aga Khan, wed the eldest son of His Highness Aga Khan IV, in September 2013 in Geneva, Switzerland. On Friday, the happy news of their pregnancy was announced on the official website of the Ismaili Muslim community — a sect of Shia Muslims united in their allegiance to Aga Khan IV, a direct descendent of the Prophet Muhammed.
Prince Rahim and Kendra Spears at their September 2013 wedding
"Around the world, Ismailis are gathering in Jamatkhanas [place of worship] to celebrate the happy news," the statement read, noting that family and close friends were sending "warmest wishes" to Rahim and Kendra.
The 26-year-old model assumed her new royal title when she married Rahim, 43, in a private ceremony. The pair wed after only a four-month courtship.
For their wedding, Kendra wore a traditional ivory robe with intricate gold beading and embroidery while Rahim wore a traditional cream suit. The bride accessorized her gown with a multi-strand necklace, with her hair was swept up into a bun to show off her beautiful diamond earrings.
Kendra married into a unique royal family, namely because they don't rule over a specific geographic region. She and Rahim live in Paris and their family are considered faith leaders of the Nizari Ismailism.
Prince Rahim, 43, and Kendra Spears, 26, are expecting their first child
The traditional Muslim ceremony was held on the grounds of the Château de Bellerive, on the shores of Lake Geneva in Switzerland. The small wedding, which was attended by their close family and friends, included a recitation of the "qasida" in Farsi, a poem that speaks in praise of someone, and a "nikah," or marriage contract, recited by His Eminence Sayyed Muhammad Musawi, a prominent Shia faith leader.
Kendra Spears became Princess Salwa Aga Khan following her marriage
Prior to joining the royal family, Seattle-born Kendra spent nearly six years as a model in New York City, drawing comparisons to Cindy Crawford for her striking beauty and mole on her upper lip. Throughout her career she walked for renown designers such as Gucci, Lacroix and Valentino, covered numerous international fashion magazines, and modeled for Prada in 2009.
Kendra isn't the only famous face to marry into the royal family. She joins British model Sarah "Sally" Croker-Poole, who married her father-in-law, and iconic beauty and actress Rita Hayworth, who married her great-grandfather-in-law.
