Who would’ve thought you’d meet a real-life prince in a bar where you just wanna chill, dance, and lose yourself for a moment? Well, this woman did.
People usually go to nightclubs and bars to drink, dance the night away, or maybe meet new people. But while on the dance floor of Washington D.C nightclub Pearl, Ariana Austin never thought a fairy tale love story would unfold when she met Joel Makonnen back in 2005.
Makonnen, also known as Prince Yoel, turned out to be Austin’s real-life prince charming. After 12 years, the couple tied the knot and Austin became a princess.
According to New York Times, Prince Yoel is the “…the 35-year-old great-grandson of Haile Selassie, the last emperor of Ethiopia,” part of the Solomonic dynasty. Austin isn’t a bad catch either as she happens to be the granddaughter of the lord mayor of Georgetown, Guyana.
Back in 2005, Makonnen shared on NYT that he wasn’t that much of a chatter but he mustered the courage and decided he didn’t want to waste time when he told Austin: “You’re going to be my girlfriend.” The two instantly hit off and started dating. It was a long journey for them but saying “I do” to each other was definitely worth all the years.
The couple got married in an Ethiopian Orthodox ceremony in Temple Hills, Maryland, surrounded by family and friends.
Congratulations to the new royal couple!