The Sultan's Divorce: A Royal Split With Mariam

Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei divorced his second wife, Mariam Abdul Aziz, in 2003. The Sultan's brother, Prince Sufri, announced the divorce on state television, citing Brunei's Sharia Islamic law as the reason for the split. As a result of the divorce, Mariam was stripped of all her royal titles. The couple had been married for 21 years and had four children together. No official reason was given for the divorce, although there had been rumours of a rift in the marriage.

The Sultan's second wife was a former air hostess

The second wife of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, Mariam Abdul Aziz, was a former air hostess. She was a stewardess for Royal Brunei Airlines when she met her future husband in 1980. They married in a secret ceremony on 28 October 1981, and she became the second wife of the Sultan, who was already married to his cousin, Anak Hajjah Saleh. This marriage was initially disapproved of by the Sultan's father, Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien III, primarily because Mariam was a commoner of mixed heritage and not of pure Malay descent.

Mariam was born in 1955 or 1956 in Brunei Town. Her mother, Rashidah Saleh, was Bruneian, and her father, Jimmy Bell, was a Scottish-Japanese government servant in Brunei who converted to Islam and took the name Abdul Aziz after marrying Rashidah. Mariam was the fourth child in the family and was half Bruneian, a quarter English, and a quarter Japanese. She attended Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin College in Brunei Town and was reportedly sympathetic to the outlawed Parti Rakyat Brunei (PRB) during her school years.

Mariam and the Sultan had four children together: two sons, Abdul Azim and Abdul Mateen, and two daughters, Fadzilah Lubabul Bolkiah and Azemah Ni'matul Bolkiah. They also had an adopted daughter, Afifa Abdullah.

Mariam was stripped of all her royal titles in 2003 when the Sultan divorced her under the country's Sharia Islamic law. No reason was given for the divorce, but there had been rumours for months that the couple were estranged. Several images of the Sultan's ex-wife that were displayed alongside pictures of him and his first wife were swiftly taken down after the royal announcement.

Mariam's family resides in Istana Nurul Izzah, a palace built for her by the Sultan at a cost of US$120 million. Despite officially ranking second to Queen Saleha, Mariam was often perceived as more influential, as the Sultan spent most of his time with her, both at home and during official and unofficial trips abroad. It was also rumoured that she was leveraging her status to promote her son, Abdul Azim, as the heir apparent to the throne.

Mariam was stripped of her royal titles

Mariam Abdul Aziz, the former wife of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei, was stripped of her royal titles following her divorce from the Sultan in 2003.

Mariam, a former air hostess for Royal Brunei Airlines, married the Sultan in 1981, becoming his second wife. She was a commoner and was of mixed heritage, which led to strong initial disapproval from the Sultan's father, Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien III. However, by 1987, the Sultan's father had reconciled and began accepting her as his daughter-in-law.

Mariam and the Sultan had four children together: two sons, Abdul Azim and Abdul Mateen, and two daughters, Fadzilah Lubabul Bolkiah and Azemah Ni'matul Bolkiah. She also had an adopted daughter, Afifa Abdullah.

Mariam's divorce was announced on official television by the Sultan's brother, Prince Sufri Bolkiah, who stated that the divorce was in accordance with the country's Sharia Islamic law. No reason was given for the divorce, but there had been rumours for months that the couple was estranged.

Following the divorce, Mariam was stripped of her royal titles, and several images of her that were displayed alongside pictures of the Sultan and his first wife in government and commercial establishments were swiftly taken down. Despite having "immense personal wealth", she reportedly found the split very upsetting and struggled to adjust to life as an independent woman.

The divorce was granted based on special reasons

Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei divorced his second wife, Mariam Abdul Aziz, in 2003. The divorce was granted based on "special reasons", although no other details were given.

Mariam was stripped of all her royal titles, and several images of her that were displayed alongside pictures of the Sultan and his first wife in government and commercial establishments were swiftly taken down.

Mariam and the Sultan had four children together: two sons, Abdul Azim and Abdul Mateen, and two daughters, Fadzilah Lubabul Bolkiah and Azemah Ni'matul Bolkiah. They also had an adopted daughter, Afifa Abdullah.

Mariam was a former air hostess for Royal Brunei Airlines, and the couple married in a secret ceremony in 1981. At the time, the Sultan was already married to his cousin, Anak Hajjah Saleh, and the marriage was strongly disapproved of by the Sultan's father, primarily because Mariam was a commoner of mixed heritage and not of pure Malay descent.

The divorce was announced on state television by the Sultan's brother, Prince Sufri Bolkiah, who explained that the divorce was in accordance with the country's Sharia Islamic law. Under Brunei's law, there are three types of divorce, and the divorce announced was of the first type, which allows the husband to change his mind about the divorce within three months and ten days without requiring new marriage vows.

The Sultan has since divorced his third wife, Azrinaz Mazhar Hakim, in 2010, and remains married to his first wife, Anak Hajah Saleha.

Mariam had four children with the Sultan

Mariam Abdul Aziz, the former second wife of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, had four children with the Sultan: two sons, Abdul Azim and Abdul Mateen, and two daughters, Fadzilah Lubabul Bolkiah and Azemah Ni'matul Bolkiah. She also had an adopted daughter, Afifa Abdullah.

Mariam, a former flight attendant for Royal Brunei Airlines, married the Sultan in a secret ceremony on 28 October 1981. She was a commoner of mixed heritage, which initially caused her marriage to the Sultan to be strongly disapproved of by his father, Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien III, who preferred that his son marry someone of pure Malay descent. However, by 1987, Mariam had reconciled with her father-in-law, who began accepting her as his daughter-in-law.

Mariam and the Sultan divorced in 2003, in accordance with the country's Sharia Islamic law. No reason was given for the divorce, but it is rumoured that Mariam was leveraging her status to promote her son, Abdul Azim, as the heir apparent to the throne.

The couple divorced under Brunei's Islamic, or Sharia, law

Under Brunei's Sharia law, divorce proceedings are handled by the Sharia courts, which deal with disputes pertaining to both religious offences and personal status. In the case of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah and his second wife, Mariam Abdul Aziz, the divorce was announced by the Sultan's brother, Prince Sufri Bolkiah, on state-run television. Mariam was stripped of all royal titles, and portraits of her were removed from government and business offices.

Sharia law in Brunei allows polygamy, and the Sultan remains married to his first wife, Anak Hajah Saleha, while also retaining a third wife, Azrinaz Mazhar Hakim, whom he divorced in 2010.

In addition to divorce, the Sharia Penal Code (SPC) in Brunei outlines provisions for corporal and capital punishment for various offences, including adultery, sodomy, and blasphemy. While the SPC applies to both Muslims and non-Muslims, non-Muslims are exempt from certain sections, such as requirements for men to join Friday prayers.

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