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Princess Sisowath Keo Soma Tharirakka and Khmer singer Chorm Bun Yong will tie the knot in January following an engagement that shocked the Kingdom’s Royal Family.

The Princess said her engagement with Chorm Bun Yong came as a surprise to the Royal family because he was a commoner.

The local singer proposed to the Princess on October 18 this year.

“Some people in my family were not happy with my decision. It is discrimination against a social class. My grandmother, however, wanted me to make my own choice. She is a kind woman and wanted what was best for me,” said the Princess.

The couple met by chance at a restaurant in Phnom Penh, when a mutual friend introduced them. To Chorm Bun Yong’s pleasant surprise, the Princess was kind to him and they became friends. His family was just as surprised at the engagement as the Royal Family.

“My parents and siblings could not believe that I was going to marry the Princess,” he said.

Chorm Bun Yung will pay the Princess $37,777 as a wedding dowry.

The wedding will be celebrated over three days at the Princess's house in Borey Thmey, Phnom Penh, from January 17 to 19 next year. The wedding reception will be held at the Le Royal Hotel.

“I want to maintain order, so I will make my wedding traditional in the style of the King,” she said.

The Princess’s uncle will stand in the place of her father – Prince Sisowath Dungsaravoin – who died when she was young. The couple plans to invite around 700 local and foreign friends and family, including some of Chorm Bun Yong’s military friends. They will spend their honeymoon in India and Nepal.

After the wedding, Princess Sisowath Keo Soma Tharirakka wants Chorm Bun Yung to continue his singing career.

“I do not want him quit singing because of me,” she said.

Chorm Bun Yong said “To maintain our love, we need to learn to forgive each other and to never look down on one another.”