British racing driver Chris Froggatt marries Malaysian royal Princess Ilyana in Kuala Lumpur: Inside the grand wedding of Sultan Abdullah’s daughter and the Ferrari 296 GT3 racer

British racing driver Chris Froggatt has entered a new chapter away from the racetrack after marrying Malaysian royal Tengku Puteri Raja Tengku Puteri Ilyana Alia, the daughter of Sultan of Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah, in a royal wedding in Kuala Lumpur.

Froggatt, 32, married Princess Ilyana, 29, on Friday, August 7, in a ceremony that brought members of the Pahang royal family, Malaysian dignitaries and prominent guests together for the royal ceremony. While Princess Ilyana comes from one of Malaysia’s most prominent royal households, her husband has built his own public profile through international GT racing and his career behind the wheel of Ferrari machinery.

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The wedding has put renewed attention on Chris Froggatt, his racing career, his Ferrari connection and the unusual path that took him into international motorsport.

Who is Chris Froggatt, Princess Ilyana’s husband?

Chris Froggatt is a British racing driver who competes in the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup, one of the major championships on the international GT racing calendar, according to Times of India.

Unlike many professional drivers who begin karting and racing at a very young age, Froggatt arrived comparatively late to competitive car racing. His official Tempesta Racing biography describes a childhood fascination with cars, quad bikes and motocross before he eventually found his way toward circuit racing.

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His move into international motorsport was shaped in part by a Ferrari driving experience in Italy. According to his racing biography, Froggatt attended a Ferrari high-performance driving event at the company’s Fiorano test track as a guest of a close friend. The experience ultimately helped persuade him to pursue racing more seriously.

His official biography states, “A childhood love of cars, riding quad bikes and motocross from a young age all fuelled his fascination with speed, and his unfashionably late arrival on the car racing scene at 24 years of age.”

The biography added that the Ferrari experience at Fiorano “proved to be the turning point for Chris and his journey to the starting grid of international motor racing.”

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Chris Froggatt’s racing career

Froggatt’s career has largely centred on GT competition, including Ferrari Challenge and GT3 racing. He currently drives a Ferrari 296 GT3, competing at the international level in endurance racing. His career has included a number of notable results in the GT World Challenge Europe series.

Among his achievements are victories in the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Bronze Cup in 2021 and 2023. He also won the GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup Pro-Am title in 2020.

That record has established Froggatt as an experienced figure in the competitive GT racing world, despite his relatively late start in professional car racing.

His career is particularly notable because his route to the starting grid did not follow the conventional path of a young driver progressing through karting and junior single-seater categories from childhood.

Instead, his early interest in cars and off-road riding eventually developed into a professional racing career after that pivotal Ferrari experience.

Chris Froggatt and Princess Ilyana’s royal wedding

Froggatt and Princess Ilyana’s marriage took place in Kuala Lumpur on August 7. The ceremony was attended by Princess Ilyana’s father, Sultan Abdullah, the ruler of Pahang and a former King of Malaysia. Sultan Abdullah served as Malaysia’s 16th Yang di-Pertuan Agong from 2019 to 2024.

The wedding followed Islamic traditions and included several important ceremonial moments.

According to the Kesultanan Pahang’s official Facebook page, Froggatt performed the sunnah prayer before the proceedings continued with the couple’s procession to the dais.

The ceremony also featured the presentation of the mas kahwin, followed by the exchange of wedding rings. Prayers were recited before the newlyweds participated in merenjis, a symbolic gesture associated with blessings and prayers for the couple’s well-being.

Images from the wedding showed Froggatt and Princess Ilyana seated together in traditional attire during the proceedings.

Pahang royals attend Princess Ilyana’s wedding

The ceremony brought together several members of the Pahang Royal Household. Among those present was Tengku Hassanal Ibrahim Alam Shah, the Regent and Crown Prince of Pahang, along with his younger siblings and other members of the royal family.

Pahang Chief Minister Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail was also among the guests. Sheik Mohammed bin Hamad bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan of the United Arab Emirates was also reported to have attended the ceremony.

The wedding was held at the Shangri-La hotel in Kuala Lumpur, according to Town & Country. For Froggatt, the occasion marked a major moment far removed from the familiar surroundings of race tracks, pit lanes and Ferrari GT3 machinery.

Princess Ilyana is the daughter of Sultan Abdullah

Princess Ilyana comes from the Pahang royal family and is the daughter of Sultan Abdullah and former actress Julia Rais. Her father is the sixth Sultan of Pahang and became Malaysia’s King in 2019. His five-year term as Yang di-Pertuan Agong ended in 2024.

Malaysia’s monarchy operates differently from a system where one royal family permanently occupies the national throne. The country has nine hereditary royal families, with the Conference of Rulers electing one of the nine state rulers to become the Yang di-Pertuan Agong for a five-year term.

Sultan Abdullah is both the ruler of Pahang and one of the hereditary rulers who form part of this unique rotating royal system.

That makes Princess Ilyana’s marriage to Froggatt particularly notable, bringing together a member of a Malaysian royal household and a British driver who has established a career in international motorsport.