Is Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari set to marry into European royalty?
That is the latest speculation circulating on social media in Pakistan, where viral posts claim that the 38-year-old Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman could be tying the knot with the great-granddaughter of Austria’s last emperor, Charles I.
The rumours gained momentum after Bilawal’s father, Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari, travelled to Austria for a seven-day private visit.
Social media users quickly connected the visit with the alleged wedding, with some posts claiming that marriage talks were taking place and that a wedding date could soon be decided.
The PPP, however, has rejected the claims, describing reports about Bilawal’s engagement and marriage as “incorrect and unfounded”.
ZARDARI'S AUSTRIA VISIT FUELS SPECULATION
The Pakistan President’s Office announced on August 27 that Zardari had “proceeded abroad on a private visit”, without initially revealing where he was travelling or the reason for the trip.
Pakistani media reports, citing unnamed sources, later claimed that arrangements for Bilawal’s wedding were in progress and connected Zardari’s European trip to those preparations.
Social media speculation went a step further by identifying Gloria von Habsburg as the alleged prospective bride and adding a royal dimension to the story.
Posts described her as a former Austrian archduchess and the great-granddaughter of Charles I, who was Austria’s final emperor before the monarchy came to an end in November 1918.
Some social media claims suggested that the wedding might take place towards the end of this year. However, there has been no official confirmation of any of these reports.
PPP DENIES WEDDING CLAIMS
PPP leader and Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab, who also serves as Bilawal’s spokesperson, dismissed the speculation on Saturday.
Wahab described reports about Bilawal’s engagement and marriage as “incorrect and unfounded”. Neither Bilawal nor members of his family have announced an engagement, identified a prospective bride or revealed a wedding date.
Bilawal has previously acknowledged that he intends to marry.
During the United Nations General Assembly in 2022, when he was asked about his marriage plans while serving as Pakistan’s foreign minister, Bilawal smiled and said, “Of course, I have plans to marry,” without providing a timeframe.
However, he had earlier joked that any woman hoping to marry him would first have to win the approval of his sisters. In 2016, Bilawal said this would be “a very difficult task for any girl.”
