The Sultan's Many Wives: A Royal Brunei Mystery

The Sultan of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah, has had three wives. He married his first cousin and first wife, Pengiran Anak Saleha, in 1965. As polygamy is legal in Brunei, Saleha remains his Queen Consort despite the Sultan marrying and divorcing two other women: an air hostess and a TV anchor. He has a total of 12 children.

The Sultan of Brunei's three wives

The Sultan of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah, has had three wives. He married his first cousin and first wife, Pengiran Anak Saleha, in 1965. As polygamy is legal in Brunei, Saleha remained his Queen Consort despite the Sultan marrying and divorcing two other women. His second wife was Mariam Abdul Aziz, a former flight attendant for Royal Brunei Airlines, whom he married in 1981. In 2003, she was stripped of all royal titles and the Sultan proclaimed a first-stage divorce from her. His third wife was Azrinaz Mazhar Hakim, a former Malaysian TV3 anchor, whom he married in 2005. In 2010, the Sultan divorced her and she was stripped of all royal titles.

The Sultan has five sons and seven daughters with his three wives. As of 2020, he also has 18 grandchildren.

The Sultan's cousin, Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Hajah Saleha

The current Sultan of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah, is married to his first cousin, Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Hajah Saleha. They wed in 1965, and she is his Queen Consort. The Sultan has married and divorced two other women: an air hostess and a TV anchor. However, as polygamy is legal in Brunei, Saleha has retained her position as Queen Consort.

Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Hajah Saleha is the mother of five of the Sultan's sons and seven of his daughters. Their eldest son, Crown Prince Al-Muhtadee Billah, is the current Pengiran Muda Mahkota (Crown Prince) and heir to the throne.

In 1992, the Sultan established the Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Foundation (Yayasan Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah; YSHHB), with the intention of using it as a conduit for his philanthropic gifts. The foundation is guided by five principles: finance, development, welfare, education, and religion.

In 2017, the Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Hajah Saleha Bridge was opened to commemorate the Sultan's Golden Jubilee.

The Sultan's two ex-wives: an air hostess and a TV anchor

The Sultan of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah, has had three wives. He married his first cousin, Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Hajah Saleha, in 1965. As polygamy is legal in Brunei, Saleha remains his Queen Consort despite the Sultan marrying and divorcing two other women. The first of these was Mariam Abdul Aziz, a former flight attendant for Royal Brunei Airlines, whom he married in 1981. Mariam was stripped of all royal titles in 2003 and the Sultan proclaimed a first-stage divorce from her. The Sultan's third wife was Azrinaz Mazhar Hakim, a former Malaysian TV anchor, whom he married in 2005. In 2010, the Sultan divorced Azrinaz and she was stripped of all royal titles.

The Sultan has five sons and seven daughters with his three wives. He is the world's longest-reigning current monarch and the longest-serving current head of state. He is also one of the world's wealthiest royals, with an estimated fortune of $30 billion.

The Sultan's 12 children

The Sultan of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah, has 12 children with his three wives. He married his first cousin and first wife, Pengiran Anak Saleha, in 1965. As polygamy is legal in Brunei, Saleha remains his Queen Consort despite the Sultan marrying and divorcing two other women: an air hostess and a TV anchor.

The Sultan's eldest son and heir, Crown Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah, married in 2004. American singer Whitney Houston reportedly performed at the reception, and the couple were later seen driving around the capital in a golden-topped Rolls-Royce. The Sultan's third-born son, Prince Abdul Malik, married in 2015. Forbes described the celebrations as "a royal wedding to beat all royal weddings". The bride held a bouquet made of gems and precious metals, and the couple's attire was draped in jewels.

The Sultan's sixth-in-line to the throne, Prince Mateen, was once dubbed one of Asia's most eligible bachelors. He has over a million followers on Instagram, where he posts pictures of himself playing polo and enjoying time on yachts and in luxury hotels.

The Sultan's other children include Princess Muneerah Madhul Bolkiah, Prince Muhammad Aiman Bolkiah, Princess Faathimah Az-Zahraa' Raaihanul Bolkiah, Princess Majeedah Nuurul Bolkiah, Princess Hafizah Sururul Bolkiah, Prince Abdul Malik Bolkiah, Princess Azemah Ni'matul Bolkiah, Prince Abdul Wakeel Bolkiah, and Princess Ameerah Wardatul Bolkiah.

The Sultan's brother, Prince Jefri Bolkiah

Prince Jefri Bolkiah, the younger brother of the Sultan of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah, is a member of the Bruneian royal family. He was the finance minister of Brunei from 1986 to 1997 and also served as chairman of the Brunei Investment Agency (BIA), which is responsible for investing much of the country's wealth. Prince Jefri is known for his extravagant lifestyle, which included a huge art collection, luxury hotels, private jets, and an extensive car collection.

In the late 1990s, Prince Jefri became embroiled in legal issues with the state of Brunei, which resulted in a prolonged and costly legal battle. He was accused of embezzling $14.8 billion from the BIA and, although he denied the charges, he agreed to hand over his personal holdings to the government in 2000 to avoid criminal prosecution. This included returning hundreds of properties, thousands of cars, paintings, boats, and aircraft to the state. Despite this agreement, legal disputes continued, with the Privy Council in London ultimately ruling in favour of the Bruneian government.

In addition to his legal troubles, Prince Jefri also faced accusations of sexual misconduct. In 1997, Shannon Marketic, a former Miss USA, accused Prince Jefri and the Sultan of flying her and other women to Brunei under false pretenses to be part of a harem, where they were allegedly abused. The case was later dropped due to diplomatic immunity. Separate lawsuits by former business partners and advisors further contributed to the negative publicity surrounding Prince Jefri.

Prince Jefri's lavish spending and legal issues have drawn attention to his extravagant lifestyle, which included multiple wives and mistresses. He has been married six times and divorced four times, with nineteen children from these marriages. While Islamic law allows for up to four wives, Prince Jefri's lifestyle and alleged misconduct have been the subject of scrutiny and controversy.

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