by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2020

• Wikipedia: Brunei Styles and Titles

Crown Prince Al-Muhtadee Billah of Bahrain was born on February 17, 1974, at the Darul Hana Palace in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei. He is the elder of the two sons and the third of the six children of first cousins Hassanal Bolkiah, Sultan of Brunei and his first wife Princess Saleha of Bahrain.

Al-Muhtadee Billah has one brother and four sisters:

• Princess Rashidah (born 1969), married Prince Haji ‘Abdul Rahim, had five children
• Princess Muta-Wakkilah (born 1971), unmarried
• Princess Majeedah (born 1976), married Prince Khairul Khalil, had three children
• Princess Hafizah (born 1980), married Prince Haji Mohammad Ruzaini, had four children
• Prince Abdul Malik (born 1983), married Princess Raabi’atul A’dawiyyah Binti Pengiran Haji Bolkiah, had three children

Al-Muhtadee Billah has four half-siblings from his father’s marriage (divorced 2003) to Mariam Abdul Aziz, a former flight attendant for Royal Brunei Airlines:

• Prince Abdul Azim (1982 – 2020)
• Princess Azemah Ni’matul (born 1984)
• Prince Fadzilah Lubabul (born 1985)
• Prince Abdul Mateen (born 1991), married Anisha Rosnah binti Adam

Al-Muhtadee Billah has two half-siblings from his father’s marriage (divorced 2010) to Azrinaz Mazhar Hakim, a former Malaysian TV3 presenter:

• Prince Abdul Wakeel (born 2006)
• Princess Ameerah Wardatul (born 2008)

Al-Muhtadee Billah received his early education at the Darul Hana Palace. He completed his primary education at St. Andrew’s School, a private school in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei. He then attended the Paduka Seri Begawan Sultan Science College, a selective government secondary school in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei. He completed his secondary education at Emanuel School, an independent, coeducational day school in Battersea, London, England. Al-Muhtadee Billah began his university studies with tutorials at the University of Brunei Darussalam and then studied at the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies in Oxford, England. He remained in Oxford and attended the University of Oxford‘s Foreign Service Programme at Magdalen College, Oxford, graduating in 1997 with a Diploma in Diplomatics Studies.

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Crown Prince’s Proclamation: The Sultan of Brunei inserts the Keris Si Naga into his son’s waistband

On August 10, 1998, Al-Muhtadee Billah was proclaimed Crown Prince of Brunei. His father Hassanal Bolkiah, Sultan of Brunei presented his eldest son with the Keris Si Naga, a golden dagger gold in the shape of a cobra (naga) with ruby ​​eyes on the handle. It is also known as the Dragon’s Dagger and symbolizes the authority of the Sultans of Brunei. Its possession is necessary for a successor to claim the throne and for his coronation. As Crown Prince, Al-Muhtadee Billah acts as Deputy Sultan when his father is out of the country and holds several positions:

• Senior Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office
• General in the Brunei Armed Forces
• Deputy Inspector General of the Royal Brunei Police Force
• Head of the National Disaster Management Committee

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On September 9, 2004, at the Nurul Iman Palace, the largest residential palace in the world and the largest single-family residence ever built, in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei, 30-year-old Crown Prince, Al-Muhtadee Billah married 17-year-old Dayangku Sarah binti Pengiran Salleh Ab Rahaman. Two weeks of pre-nuptial celebrations preceded the three days of ceremonies which concluded with a traditional Islamic wedding ceremony. After the wedding ceremony, the newlyweds were driven through the streets of Bandar Seri Begawan, the capital of Brunei, in a golden Rolls-Royce followed by 103 limousines, with a marching band leading the procession. The price tag for the wedding festivities was five million dollars.

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Sarah’s father was descended in the male line of a Sultan of Brunei and used the title Pengiran. Sarah’s title Dayangku is used for unmarried daughters of a Pengiran and retained after marriage if the husband is a commoner. Sarah is the only daughter of Pengiran Salleh Ab Rahaman Pengiran Damit and Dayang Rinawaty Abdullah. Her father worked as a laboratory assistant and her mother, who was born in Switzerland as Suzanne Aeby, worked as a nurse. They met while attending school in the United Kingdom. Sarah attended St. Andrew’s School in Bandar Seri Begawan and Paduka Seri Begawan Sultan Science College, schools her husband has also attended. At the time of her marriage, Sarah was still a student at Paduka Seri Begawan Sultan Science College and she completed her studies after her marriage. After her marriage, Sarah was referred to by state media and English language publications in Brunei as the wife of the Crown Prince, but not Crown Princess. The style Pengiran Anak Isteri is given to wives of princes.

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The Duke of Gloucester was among the many guests at the wedding

Guests at the wedding included Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester representing his cousin Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, Crown Prince Naruhito of Japan, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia, Prince Bandar and Prince Saud al-Faisal of Saudi Arabia, King Hamad of Bahrain and other Malaysian sultans. The wedding was also attended by heads of state and government from Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines.

Al-Muhtadee Billah and his wife Sarah have four children:

• Prince Abdul Muntaqim (born 2007)
• Princess Muneerah Madhul Bolkiah (born 2011)
• Prince Muhammad Aiman (born 2015)
• Princess Faathimah Az-Zahraa’ Raihaanul Bolkiah (born 2017)

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The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall, now King and Queen of the United Kingdom, are accompanied by the Crown Prince of Brunei and his wife Sarah upon arriving in Brunei in 2017

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

• En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Al-Muhtadee Billah. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-Muhtadee_Billah> [Accessed 13 August 2020].
• En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Sarah, Crown Princess Of Brunei. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah,_Crown_Princess_of_Brunei> [Accessed 13 August 2020].
• Mehl, Scott, 2014. Hassanal Bolkiah, Sultan And Yang Di-Pertuan Of Brunei. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/hassanal-bolkiah-sultan-and-yang-di-pertuan-of-brunei/> [Accessed 13 August 2020].
• Ms.wikipedia.org. 2020. Pengiran Muda Mahkota Al-Muhtadee Billah. [online] Available at: <https://ms.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pengiran_Muda_Mahkota_Al-Muhtadee_Billah> [Accessed 13 August 2020].
• The Independent. 2004. The $5M Royal Wedding. [online] Available at: <https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/the-5m-royal-wedding-5351560.html> [Accessed 13 August 2020].

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2020

• Wikipedia: Brunei Styles and Titles

Omar Ali Saifuddien III, Sultan of Brunei was born at the Istana Kota in Kampong Sultan Lama, Brunei Town (now Bandar Seri Begawan), Brunei on September 23, 1914, one of the ten children of Muhammad Jamalul Alam II, Sultan of Brunei and his two wives, Fatimah binti Pengiran Tua Omar Ali (died 1947) and Tengah (died 1924). For some of Omar’s siblings, it is unclear which wife is their mother, and when they were born and died. It is thought that Omar’s mother was Fatimah.

Omar’s five brothers:

• Bongsu (1908 – 1910)
• Ahmad Tajuddin, Sultan of Brunei, son of Fatimah (1913 – 1950)
• Anum, son of Tengah (? – 1924)
• Gambar, son of Tengah (? – 1924)
• Bagol (? – 1945) died during the Japanese occupation of Brunei

Omar’s four sisters:

• Besar, daughter of Fatimah (1902 – 1993)
• Tengah (1910 – 1969)
• Damit (1911 – ?)
• Tinggal

Omar’s father Muhammad Jamalul Alam II, Sultan of Brunei died on September 11, 1924, at the age of 35 during a malaria outbreak along with his wife Tengah and two of his sons. Omar’s surviving elder brother eleven-year-old Ahmad Tajuddin became the Sultan of Brunei. Brunei was part of the British protectorate North Borneo and Sir Roland Evelyn Turnbull, a British colonial official and Governor of British North Borneo, was a mentor to Omar while he was growing up. Omar came to regard Sir Roland as a replacement for his father who had died when Omar was ten-years-old. It was Sir Roland who suggested that Omar enroll at the Malay College Kuala Kangsar in Perak, British Malaya (now in Malaysia) which Omar attended from 1932 – 1936. Omar was the first Sultan of Brunei to attend a foreign educational institution.

After graduating from college, Omar had several jobs that gave him valuable experience. In his position in the Forestry Department in Kuala Belait, he closely worked with people in villages and remote areas and was able to better understand their problems and their needs. When he worked in the Judiciary Department, also in Kuala Belait, he was able to learn about the Criminal and Civil Procedure Code. When working as an administrator in the British Resident’s Office, he studied and perfected his English language skills. After World War II, Omar was appointed a member of Brunei State Council and chairman of the Shariah Court which deals with Islamic religious law.

Omar married three times:

• Amin binti Pehin Orang Kaya Pekerma, married in 1937, divorced in 1944, no children
• Princess Damit binti Pengiran Bendahara Seri Maharaja Permaisuara (1924 – 1979), married in 1941 his second cousin, the mother of his ten children (see below)
• Princess Salhah binti Pengiran Bendahara Seri Maharaja Permaisuara (? – 2011), married in 1980 his second cousin, the sister of his deceased second wife, no children

Omar had four sons and six daughters with his second wife Damit:

Sons:

• Hassanal Bolkiah, Sultan of Brunei (born 1946), married (1) married 1965 his paternal first cousin Princess Saleha binti Al-Marhum , Sultanah of Brunei (born 1946), had six children (2) married 1982 Mariam Abdul Aziz, had three children, divorced in 2003 (3) married 2005 Azrinaz Mazhar, had two children, divorced 2010
• Prince Mohammed (born 1948), married his first cousin Princess Zariah binti Al-Marhum, had ten children
• Prince Sufri (born 1951), married (1) Princess Salma binti Pengiran Anak Muhammad Salleh, had three children, divorced (2) Ruhaizah binti Ibrahim, had one child (3) Mazuin binti Hamzah, had two children, divorced (4) Princess Faizah binti Dato Haji Nasir, had four children, divorced
• Prince Jefri (born 1954), married (1) Princess Norhayati binti Pengiran Jaya Negara, had three children (2) Fatimah binti Abdullah, no children (3) Ayen Munji, one child, divorced (4) Jefrida binti Mohammed, one child (4) Salma binti Abdullah, one child

Daughters:

• Princess Masna (born 1948), married (1) Prince ‘Abdu’l Rahman, no children, divorced (2) Prince Laila Cheteria Sahib ul-Najabah, had five children
• Princess Nor’ain (born 1950), married Pangiran Maharaja Laila Sahib ul-Kahar Pangiran Anak Haji Muhammad Yusuf, had eight children
• Princess ‘Umi Kalthum al-Islam (born 1956), married Prince Indira Setia di-Raja Sahib ul-Karib Pangiran Anak Haji Idris, had five children
• Princess Rakiah (born 1957), married PrincIndira Negara Pangiran Anak Tahir ud-din, had two children
• Princess Nasibah (born 1960), married Prince Negara Indira Pangiran Dato Laila Utama Haji Kamar ul-Zaman, had two sons
  Princess Jefriah (born 1963), married Prince Muhammad Bey Muntassir, had five children

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Omar Ali Saifuddien III, Sultan of Brunei, arriving for an audience with Queen Elizabeth II in London, November 6, 1957

Omar’s brother, Ahmad Tajuddin, Sultan of Brunei died on June 3, 1950. Because his brother had no male heirs, Omar succeeded to the throne of Brunei. In 1959, a constitution went into effect that gave Brunei self-government with the power to rule the domestic affairs of the country in the hands of the Sultan of Brunei, an important step toward complete independence from the United Kingdom, which would come in 1984.

On October 4, 1967, Omar voluntarily abdicated in favor of his eldest son Hassanal Bolkiah but he still wielded most of the power in Brunei for a number of years. At the coronation of his son, Omar placed the crown upon Hassanal Bolkiah’s head. Omar became his son’s personal adviser and guided him in carrying out the duties as the Sultan in preparation for the time Brunei would eventually become an independent and sovereign country.

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Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, now King of the United Kingdom, visits Brunei to officially confer independence on the nation, speaking to Omar Ali Saifuddien III, the former Sultan of Brunei, 1984

At the stroke of midnight on December 31, 1983, Brunei became an independent country. Omar was appointed by his son Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah to be Minister of Defence in Brunei’s first cabinet and received the rank of Field Marshal in the Royal Brunei Armed Forces.

Omar Ali Saifuddien III, the former Sultan of Brunei died at the Istana Darussalam in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei on September 7, 1986, two weeks before his 72nd birthday. A state funeral was held on September 8, 1986, attended by many world leaders. His body lay in state at the Lapau, the ceremonial hall where the royal ceremonies of Brunei are traditionally held, in the capital city of Bandar Seri Begawan before being moved to nearby Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque for the funeral. His casket draped with his royal standard flag was placed on a carriage for the funeral procession around the capital city. Sultan Omar was buried in the Kubah Makam Diraja Brunei, the Royal Mausoleum in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei in the main dome alongside the three previous Sultans of Brunei: his grandfather Hashim Jalilul Alam Aqamaddin, his father Muhammad Jamalul Alam II and his eldest brother and predecessor Ahmad Tajuddin.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

• En.wikipedia.org. 2020. Omar Ali Saifuddien III. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omar_Ali_Saifuddien_III> [Accessed 10 August 2020].
• Ms.wikipedia.org. 2020. Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien. [online] Available at: <https://ms.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sultan_Haji_Omar_%27Ali_Saifuddien_Sa%27adul_Khairi_Waddien> [Accessed 10 August 2020].
• Royalark.net. 2020. Brunei Royal Genealogy. [online] Available at: <https://www.royalark.net/Brunei/brunei12.htm> [Accessed 10 August 2020].

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2014

Hassanal Bolkiah, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei

• Wikipedia: Brunei Styles and Titles

Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei (full name: Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien) was born on July 15, 1946, in Brunei Town, now called Bandar Seri Begawan. He is the eldest son of Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien III of Brunei and Rani Isteri Pengiran Anak Damit.

Following his early education in Brunei, he attended the Victorian Institution in Kuala Lumpur and then the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in the United Kingdom. On October 4, 1967, his father abdicated and Hassanal Bolkiah became the 29th Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan (Head of State) of Brunei.  He is also Prime Minister, Minister of Defense, and Minister of Finance.  At the time, Brunei was a protectorate of the United Kingdom.  However, the Sultan oversaw negotiations with Britain which led to Brunei’s independence in 1984.

The Sultan has had three wives and twelve children. On July 28, 1965, Hassanal Bolkiah married his paternal first cousin Saleha Mohamed Alam who was styled Her Majesty The Sultanah of Brunei after her husband became Sultan. Saleha and Hassanal Bolkiah had two sons and four daughters:

• Princess Rashidah (born 1969), married Prince Haji ‘Abdul Rahim, had five children
• Princess Muta-Wakkilah (born 1971), unmarried
• Crown Prince Al-Muhtadee Billah (born 1974), married Princess Sarah binti Salleh Abdul Rahaman, had four children
• Princess Majeedah (born 1976), married Prince Khairul Khalil, had two children
• Princess Hafizah (born 1980), married Prince Haji Mohammad Ruzaini, had four children
• Prince Abdul Malik (born 1983), married Princess Raabi’atul A’dawiyyah Binti Pengiran Haji Bolkiah, had three children

In 1982, Hassanal Bolkiah married a second wife Mariam Abdul Aziz, a former flight attendant for Royal Brunei Airlines. The Sultan divorced her for nusyuz, disobeying or opposing the will of the husband in 2003, and stripped her of all her titles. Four children were born from the marriage:

• Prince Abdul Azim (1982 – 2020)
• Princess Azemah Ni’matul (born 1984), married her first cousin Bahar ibni Jefri Bolkiah
• Prince Fadzilah Lubabul (born 1985), married Abdullah Nabil Mahmoud Al-Hashim
• Prince Abdul Mateen (born 1991), married Anisha Rosnah binti Adam

In 2005, Hassanal Bolkiah married Azrinaz Mazhar Hakim, a former Malaysian TV3 presenter. The Sultan divorced her for nusyuz, disobeying or opposing the will of the husband in 2010 and stripped her of all her titles. Two children were born from the marriage:

• Prince Abdul Wakeel (born 2006)
• Princess Ameerah Wardatul (born 2008)

Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah and Sultanah Saleha reside at Nurul Iman Palace, a massive place with nearly 1,800 rooms. According to Guinness World Records, it is the largest residential palace in the world, and the largest single-family residence ever built.  As well as being the Sultan’s home and office, the palace also holds his immense car collection.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.