Kendra Spears: Princesses are not born. Famous people: Aga Khan Karim IV: The king without a kingdom Aga Khan IV was married twice

The fate of the famous model Kendra Spears is striking in its unpredictability. In a short moment, from a sought-after model of modernity, Kendra turned into the wife of one of the most influential Muslims in the world. She married Prince Rahim Aga Khan in 2013 and gave him a son in 2015.

The royal family will soon have another child

However, the surprises did not end there, and today on the official page of the royal family on the Internet there was a message about Kendra's second pregnancy. Here are the words that could be found in the news:

“We inform you with great joy that Prince Raheem and Princess Salva will soon become parents for the second time. This news was a great happiness for the entire Ismaili community.

Kendra continues to lead a secular lifestyle

Kendra Spears was born and raised in a provincial town in the United States. Over time, having gone into the modeling business, she became the face of such famous brands as Prada, Calvin Klein, Diane von Fürstenberg and many others. In 2012, model Naomi Campbell introduced 25-year-old model Spears to Prince Rahim Aga Khan, who was already 41 years old. By this time, he had never married and his father Karim Aga Khan IV, the current head of the Ismaili Muslim community, was seriously worried about the lack of heirs. There were persistent rumors in the press that Raheem was gay, however, as it became clear, Kendra dispelled these gossip. After the wedding, Spears converted to Islam, where during the ceremony she was given a new name, Salva Aga Khan. Despite her new status, Kendra often appears at various public events and takes part in photo shoots. So, for example, almost immediately after the wedding, the model became the face of the Next brand. However, such a metamorphosis is very easily explained.

Rahim's ancestors love secular society

Despite the rather "strict" religion, the grandfather and father of Rahim Aga Khan led an active secular lifestyle. Ali Khan, Rahim's grandfather, had a reputation as a playboy. He had close relationships with actresses Joan Fontaine and Yvonne De Carlo, French model Lisa Bourdain, and American movie star Rita Hayward, who became the mother of his daughter. The last woman he loved was the Bettina model. Rakhim's father is also a great connoisseur of female beauty. His first wife was supermodel Sarah Francis Crocker-Poole. And for the second time, Karim married Gabrielle Leiningen, a divorced German princess.

Despite her relative youth, Kendra is currently on the list of the fifty best models of our time. Her "calling card" is a charming mole above her lip. In many ways, it was she who became the real "highlight" of the beautiful Kendra Spears. And even if this mole did not exist, the label of “little Cindy” simply could not help but stick to the model. Dark chestnut mane, tall - 179 centimeters and surprisingly feminine proportions - 84-61-86. All this splendor is complemented by perfect endless legs and an open, all-conquering charming smile in American style.

Kendra Spears has a career going uphill, she is constantly invited by famous brands. Peaks like Gucci, Valentino, Lanvin, Hermes shows, Prada ads have long been conquered. Now the supermodel has become an adornment of Patek Philippe, Escada, Tod's, and at the autumn shows at Fashion Week she shone in the clothes of such fashion houses as Anthony Vaccarello, Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs.

Carier start

Kendra Spears began climbing five years ago. One of Ford's most influential modeling agencies announced a competition, but approached this issue creatively. As an experiment during the rise of various social networks, the agency arranged a casting, but not only offline, but also on the Myspace resource. Kendra was 20 at the time. She was a student at the University of Washington and was active on social media. And directly on Myspace she kept her personal blog, posted photos. Although later, already becoming famous, she said that at that time she did not have an iPod. As expected, Spears won the online competition, then triumphantly made it to the finals in New York and eventually signed a contract with Ford. Interestingly, it was at that time that Kendra wore braces. Incorrect bite has now been corrected. The girl thought about the future - she graduated from the university with a degree in architecture and sociology.

After the competition, in which, by the way, Kendra took second place and her contracting career skyrocketed. What is surprising is that Spears has an amazing confidence that is not typical of beginners. In her interviews, she often says that she is always confident in her abilities and in victory.

Kendra Spears debuted at New York Fashion Week in September 2008. Later, the model took part in the opening of the show in Milan from John Richmond, and then she walked the podium for Gucci. Her first season in Paris turned out to be fantastically successful, she worked for such recognized masters as Valentino, Lanvin, Christian Lacroix. After the end of the fashion show season in October 2009, Spears began to appear more and more often on the covers of Italian and Danish fashion magazines. In the fall season of 2009, Kendra became the face of Prada. In 2010-2011, she graced the cover of the famous Vogue magazine, and at the same time, the model signed several lucrative contracts.

Kendra owes her magnificent figure to healthy food, which she loves very much and believes that even a snack on the run should be as healthy as possible. If, for example, these are nuts, then cashews, because they are rich in carbohydrates and at the same time low in calories. If it is yogurt, then without any fillers, and if chocolate, then only black. Plus, Kendra never gets a facelift, and best friend a slender figure considers the stairs. In whatever corner of the world the model wakes up and at whatever time she gets up, she always starts the day with stretching exercises. Swimming and cycling are a mandatory daily routine at home for Kendra.

From model to princess

On the last day of summer this year, American model Kendra Spears became the legal wife of Crown Prince Rahim Aga Khan, who is the eldest son of His Royal Highness Karim Aga Khan IV. The wedding ceremony in the best traditions of Islam took place in picturesque Switzerland on the shores of the transparent Lake Geneva in the romantic and chic Chateau de Bellerive.

The bride's outfit was truly fabulous and absolutely worthy of a true princess. Traditional Muslim wedding sari in delicate color Ivory was trimmed with gold patterns and wonderfully combined with fragile exclusive jewelry. Graceful sandals completed the traditional wedding dress.

As it became known, 24-year-old Kendra Spears converted to Islam before the wedding, and from now on she received not only the title of princess, but also another name - Salwa. By the way, Kendra is not the first model to enter the family of the mentor and spiritual leader of the Muslim community of His Highness. The Aga Khan IV himself married a model from Britain, Sarah Crocket-Poole. Rahim's sister and brother were also legally married to models, and his grandfather was the husband of the famous actress Rita Hayworth. So, the prince probably had no problem getting his blessing for such a multicultural marriage.

Despite the age difference, Kendra herself says that she is very happy that she has found a soul mate. And her story proves once again that in modern world The tale of Cinderella has not lost its relevance.

Prince Karim Aga Khan IV was born on 13 December 1936 in Switzerland. Imam of the Nizari Ismaili Muslim community, he has about 15 million followers in more than 25 countries.

The majority of Ismailis live in African and Asian countries, including Pakistan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and Iran. There are also large communities in the US, Canada and the UK.

The largest Ismaili community is located in the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region (GBAO) of Tajikistan.

Family

Members of the Aga Khan family are considered direct descendants of the Prophet Muhammad. One of the ancestors of the family was the Persian king Feth Ali Shah, from whom they inherited the title of princes and princesses.

The Aga Khan's father, Prince Ali Solomon Khan, was the son of the Aga Khan III. His mother, Princess Tajuddaula Ali Khan, daughter of the 3rd Baron Churston

The Aga Khan was twice married and then divorced to Begum Salima Aga Khan and Begum Inaare Aga Khan.

The Aga Khan family has four children: Prince Rahim Aga Khan, Prince Hussain Aga Khan, Prince Ali Mohammed Aga Khan and Princess Zahra Aga Khan.

Education

During his school years, the future head of the Ismailis studied at the Institut Le Rosey in Switzerland. He then entered Harvard University, graduating with honors in 1959 with a degree in Islamic History.

He received the title of Aga Khan at the age of 21 in 1957. Multimillionaire, founder of the resort of Porto Cervo.

high title

In 1957, after the death of Aga Khan III, Prince Karim was proclaimed Aga Khan IV, inheriting the title of Imam of the Nizari Ismailis.

In the same year, Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain awarded him the title of Highness, and in 1959 the Shahinshah of Iran, Mohammed Reza Pahlavi, Royal Highness.

State

Each year, followers of the faith traditionally present the Aga Khan with voluntary donations in the form of gold bars in an amount corresponding to the weight of the prince. In addition, Muslims pay a kind of tax - ushr - in the amount of 10% of their income in favor of the community. It is these funds that then go to finance most of the programs of the Aga Khan Foundation.

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American Forbes magazine annually includes the Aga Khan in the list of the richest royals in the world, his fortune is estimated at $ 800 million. Other sources give an even larger figure - about three billion dollars.

One of the main sources of income for the Aga Khan is the breeding of thoroughbred horses and horse racing. He owns horse farms in France and Ireland. In addition, the prince owns a group of exclusive hotels and a fashionable resort "Costa Smeralda" on the Italian island of Sardinia.

Charity

Since the Aga Khan family is considered a multimillionaire, the head of the Ismailis annually participates in a large number of charitable projects around the world.

Established in 1967, the Aga Khan Foundation and its separate division fund projects to build schools, hospitals and other facilities in countries where Ismaili communities live.

In 1977, the Institute for the Study of the Ismaili Teachings was founded, and in 1983, the Aga Khan University in Pakistan.

In 2000, the University of Khorog was opened Central Asia with branches in Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan.

Prince Aga Khan is fond of skiing and even in 1964 took part in the Winter Olympics in Innsbruck, but did not achieve high-profile results.

The Aga Khan visited Tajikistan three times - in 1995, 1998 and 2011.

In 2002, Prince Aga Khan met with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

cool

Kendra Spears - American top model, which is included in the list of 50 best models according to models.com. Her " calling card"became a mole above the lip, thanks to which she is so often compared with supermodel Cindy Crawford. Although there is no mole, the similarity of the two models is still obvious. Dark brown luxurious hair, height - 179, feminine figure (84-61-86), long legs, open American smile.

“Kendra has the same classic beauty and atomic charisma that made 1980s supermodels history. She appeared on the fashion horizon at the right time,” says renowned fashion photographer Giampaulo Sgura.

Kendra Spears' career began five years ago. The world-famous modeling agency Ford announced a competition, and as an experiment, a virtual casting was held within the framework of the Myspace Internet resource. A twenty-year-old student from Washington State maintained a blog on the site, where she posted many photos. Kendra easily won the Internet competition, and then in New York she made it to the final and signed a contract with the agency.

Kendra on the podium

Remembering her first steps in the modeling business, Kendra likes to talk about one interesting detail. At the time of the final competition, the model wore braces. “Getting them was probably the best decision I made in my life,” Kendra shared in an interview with the contestant, “I want to show girls with braces that they should not be ashamed of either them or themselves. If you work on yourself, your appearance, health, this in itself is wonderful.

Fashion magazine covers with Kendra

Now Kendra's career is developing only forward. Participation in the Prada advertising campaign, fashion shows at Gucci, Lanvin, Valentino shows have already conquered peaks. This season Kenda is the face of Tod's, Escada, Patek Philippe, Max Mara Studio and smiles from the covers of Vogue, Numero and Allure.

Kendra is developing not only in the modeling business. The American beauty graduated from the University of Washington with a degree in sociology and architecture. In addition to her studies and the world of fashion, Kendra is interested in photography, knitting, cycling and sports. The latter is necessary to keep the figure in good shape. Kendra never uses the elevator, there are only stairs for her, every day she starts with stretching exercises and cannot imagine her life without swimming.

In April 2013, Kenda Spears' engagement to Prince Rahim Aga Khan was announced. But, despite the high-profile title of the groom, the model is not going to leave the modeling business, so soon we will see Kendra's radiant smile on the new covers of the most influential publications in the fashion industry.