The Sultan Of Brunei: His Age And Legacy

The Sultan of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah, is currently 78 years old, having been born on 15 July 1946. He ascended to the throne on 5 October 1967 and is the 29th sultan of Brunei. He is also the prime minister of Brunei and is one of the few remaining absolute monarchs in the world.

The Sultan of Brunei's name is Hassanal Bolkiah

Hassanal Bolkiah was born on 15 July 1946 and is currently 78 years old. He is the eldest son of Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien III and Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Damit. He was privately educated and later attended the Victoria Institution in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst, England.

Hassanal Bolkiah became the crown prince in 1961 and ascended the throne on 5 October 1967, following his father's abdication. His coronation took place on 1 August 1968. He is one of the few remaining absolute monarchs in the world and is the world's longest-serving current monarch and the longest-serving current head of state.

Hassanal Bolkiah is known for his lavish lifestyle and extravagant spending. He has a vast car collection, including 500 Rolls-Royces and 300 Ferraris, and has commissioned a 1,788-room palace, worth over $2.55 billion. He has also been criticised for introducing laws to punish homosexuality with death by stoning, as part of his move to align the country with Sharia law.

In addition to being the Sultan, Hassanal Bolkiah has also held various other positions, including Minister of Home Affairs, Minister of Finance, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Minister of Defence. He is also the supreme leader of the Islamic faith in Brunei.

He was born on 15 July 1946

The Sultan of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah, was born on 15 July 1946. He is the eldest son of Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien III and Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Damit. At the time of his birth, his father was the heir presumptive of Brunei, which put him second in line to the throne.

Hassanal Bolkiah was born during the reign of his uncle, Sultan Ahmad Tajuddin, in Istana Darussalam. He was privately educated and later attended the Victoria Institution in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst, England.

At the age of 15, on 14 July 1961, he was crowned Yang Maha Mulia Seri Paduka Duli Pengiran Muda Mahkota (His Royal Highness the Crown Prince). Following his father's abdication in 1967, Hassanal Bolkiah became the 29th Sultan of Brunei on 5 October 1967, when he was 21 years old. His coronation took place on 1 August 1968.

Hassanal Bolkiah is one of the few remaining absolute monarchs in the world and has been ranked among the wealthiest individuals globally. He is also the world's longest-serving current monarch and the longest-serving current head of state.

He has held the position since 1967

The current Sultan of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah, has held the position since 1967. He ascended to the throne at the age of 21, following the abdication of his father, Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien III, on 4 October 1967.

Hassanal Bolkiah was born on 15 July 1946 and is the eldest son of Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien III and Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Damit. He is the 29th sultan to ascend to the Bruneian throne.

Hassanal Bolkiah was educated privately and later attended the Victoria Institution in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst, England. He became the Crown Prince in 1961 and was officially crowned Sultan on 1 August 1968, following his return to Brunei.

For the first decade of his rule, his father remained the power behind the throne. After his mother's death in 1979, his father withdrew from public affairs, and Hassanal Bolkiah took on a more dominant role in the administration of Brunei. He made frequent trips throughout the country, listening to his subjects and promoting himself as ruler. In anticipation of independence from Britain, he replaced British expatriates in the civil service with Bruneians and cracked down on corruption.

Hassanal Bolkiah has held various other positions in addition to his role as Sultan. He has been the Prime Minister of Brunei since independence from the United Kingdom in 1984. He has also held positions such as Minister of Finance, Minister of Home Affairs, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Minister of Defence.

Throughout his reign, Hassanal Bolkiah has been known for his extravagant lifestyle and vast wealth. He is one of the world's wealthiest royals, with an estimated fortune of $30 billion. His sources of wealth include oil reserves and natural gas, with Brunei being the fifth-leading oil producer in Southeast Asia. He is known for his lavish expenditures, including a $20,000 haircut, a collection of over 5,000 cars, and a private Boeing 747 worth at least $400 million. He also owns one of the largest private car collections in the world, with approximately 7,000 cars valued at over $5 billion.

In recent years, Hassanal Bolkiah has faced international criticism and condemnation for implementing strict Islamic criminal penalties, including the punishment of homosexuality with death by stoning. Despite backlash and calls for boycotts, he has maintained these laws.

He is one of the world's wealthiest royals

The Sultan of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah, is one of the world's wealthiest royals. As of 2023, he is said to have a net worth of $30 billion. He was the world's richest man until 1980 and was ranked by Forbes as the world's richest man in 1988. The main source of his wealth is oil reserves and natural gas. Brunei is the fifth-leading oil producer in Southeast Asia.

The Sultan has a penchant for luxury and opulence. He has a collection of around 7,000 cars, including 500 Rolls-Royces, 450 Ferraris, and 380 Bentleys. He also owns several private jets, including a Boeing 747-400, a Boeing 767-200, and an Airbus A340-200. His car collection is estimated to be worth over $5 billion.

The Sultan's palace, the Istana Nurul Iman Palace, is worth over Rs 2550 crores. It has more than 1700 rooms, 257 bathrooms, and five swimming pools. The palace also has 110 garages and air-conditioned stables for 200 horses.

The Sultan is known to spend lavishly on personal expenses as well. He regularly flies his barber in from London's Dorchester Hotel and spends over $20,000 on a single haircut.

In addition to his wealth, the Sultan of Brunei is also one of the few remaining absolute monarchs in the world. He has served as the Prime Minister of Brunei since its independence from the United Kingdom in 1984.

He has three wives and nine children

The Sultan of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah, has had three wives. He married his first cousin and first wife, Pengiran Anak Saleha, in 1965. She was later given the title of Duli Yang Maha Mulia Paduka Seri Baginda Raja Isteri (Her Royal Highness the Queen Consort). In 1981, he married his second wife, Mariam Abdul Aziz, a former flight attendant for Royal Brunei Airlines. In 2003, she was stripped of all royal titles and the Sultan proclaimed a first-stage divorce from her. In 2005, he married his third wife, Azrinaz Mazhar Hakim, a former Malaysian TV3 anchor, in a private wedding held in Kuala Lumpur. However, in 2010, the Sultan divorced his third wife and stripped her of all royal titles, citing "special reasons" without further details.

The Sultan has nine biological children with his three wives. With his first wife, he has four children: Pengiran Anak Puteri Hajah Rashidah Sa'adatul Bolkiah, Pengiran Anak Raheemah Sanaul Bolkiah, Pengiran Anak Hariisah Widadul Bolqiah, and Pengiran Muda Mahkota Pengiran Muda Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah. With his second wife, he has one child, Pengiran Muda Haji 'Abdul 'Azim. With his third wife, he has four children: Pengiran Muda 'Abdul Wakeel, Pengiran Anak Puteri 'Ameerah Wardatul Bolkiah, Pengiran Muda 'Abdul Mateen, and Pengiran Anak Muthee'ah Raayatul Bolqiah. In addition to his biological children, the Sultan also has an adopted daughter, Afifa Abdullah, with his second wife, Mariam.

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