Roald Dahl’s Grandson Divorces Jordanian Princess in Shocking Split – Then Marries American TikToker in Fairytale Twist!
In a plot twist worthy of his legendary grandfather Roald Dahl, journalist-turned-police officer Ned Donovan has closed one royal chapter and opened another with an unexpected new bride. The 32-year-old grandson of the beloved author behind Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Matilda has divorced Princess Raiyah bint Al Hussein of Jordan and quietly married American TikTok personality Megan Tomlin.
Ned and Princess Raiyah tied the knot in July 2020 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in an intimate, socially distanced ceremony at the Windsor estate of her mother, Queen Noor. Originally planned for Jordan, the wedding was relocated to the UK for safety. The princess, youngest daughter of the late King Hussein and Queen Noor and half-sister to King Abdullah II, shared joyful photos and messages of thanks. Ned, who converted to Islam before the marriage and took the name Faris, seemed to have stepped into a modern royal fairytale.
The union blended two remarkable worlds: the Jordanian royal family with its rich history and the Dahl literary dynasty. Raiyah is a highly accomplished academic with master’s degrees in Japanese studies from the University of Edinburgh and Japanese literature from Columbia University, later pursuing a PhD in pre-modern Japanese literature at UCLA. Ned, son of author Tessa Dahl, had built a career as a freelance journalist and foreign correspondent with interests in the Middle East and Asia, including stints contributing to publications like Tatler.
Yet life after the wedding brought challenges. The year following their nuptials, Ned lost his father, Patrick Donovan, to cancer. In 2024, while serving as a Special Constable with the Metropolitan Police in London, Ned was injured while heroically stopping a pickpocketing incident near Westminster Bridge. Despite sustaining injuries including a black eye, bloody nose, and bite marks, he held the suspect until help arrived—only to note that bystanders filmed rather than assisted.
Details of the divorce remain private, but sources indicate Ned has moved forward. Last week, he exchanged vows with Megan Tomlin at St Margaret’s Church in Babington, Somerset. Guests included his half-sister, model and writer Sophie Dahl, and godfather Sir Nicholas Coleridge. The couple now resides in Charleston, South Carolina, in Megan’s native United States. Friends describe Ned as finding happiness again after a difficult period.
This new marriage marks a full-circle moment of reinvention. From royal palaces and foreign correspondence to policing streets and building a life with a social media star, Ned Donovan’s journey continues to defy expectations—much like the whimsical, unpredictable tales spun by his grandfather. As the Dahl family legacy endures through generations, Ned’s story reminds us that real life often delivers the most surprising endings… and new beginnings.
