House of Bolkiah | |
---|---|
Royal family | |
Parent family | Banu Qatadah, of Banu Hassan, of Banu Hashim, of Quraysh (since 1425 due to cognatic inheritance) |
Country | Brunei Darussalam (previously the Bruneian Empire) |
Place of origin | Allegedly Tarim, Emirate of Zabid |
Founded | 1363 or 1368 |
Founder | Sultan Muhammad Shah |
Current head | Hassanal Bolkiah |
Titles | Sultan of Brunei Crown Prince of Brunei |
Traditions | Sunni Islam (1368–1661, 1673–present) Twelver Shia Islam (1661–1673) |
this article is part of a series on the |
politics of Brunei Darussalam |
---|
Politicsportal |
The House of Bolkiah is the ruling royal family of Brunei Darussalam. It is composed of the descendants of the 1st sultan Sultan Muhammad Shah and his family. The Sultan of Brunei is the head of state and absolute monarch of Brunei. He is also head of government in his capacity as Prime Minister. [1]
Since independence from the British in 1984, only one Sultan has reigned, though the royal institution dates back to the 14th century. [2] The Sultan of Brunei can be thought of as synonymous with the ruling House of Bolkiah, with descendency being traced from the 1st Sultan Muhammad Shah's brother the 2nd Sultan Ahmad through and his daughter Puteri Ratna Kesuma, the wife of the 3rd Sultan Sharif Ali, a Sayyid and grandson of Emir Rumaythah ibn Abi Numayy of Mecca. The 13th Sultan Abdul Hakkul Mubin was an exception to familial succession, but he ascended after murdering the 12th Sultan Muhammad Ali and was in turn killed by the 14th Sultan Muhyiddin. It is not clear when the house became known as the 'House of Bolkiah', and whether it was named after the current 29th Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, or the 5th Sultan Bolkiah.[ citation needed ]
The full title of the Sultan is: His Majesty The Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam (Kebawah Duli Yang Maha Mulia Paduka Seri Baginda Sultan dan Yang di-Pertuan Negara Brunei Darussalam). [1]
Today, the surname Bolkiah is carried by any descendant of the House of Bolkiah. Members of the royal household hold high and influential positions in government.
Sons and grandsons of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah are referred to in the style "His Royal Highness" (HRH) or "Pengiran Muda" in Malay, differing from the royals belonging to the cadet branches which are addressed as "The Lord" (HH) or "Pengiran Anak" in Malay.
The core of the Brunei royal family is made up of the immediate family of the incumbent Sultan of Brunei;
Only Hassanal Bolkiah and his two sons; Al-Muhtadee Billah and Abdul Mateen carry out government duties full-time, mainly for the Prime Minister's Office and the Royal Brunei Armed Forces. The Sultan's sister, Princess Masna Bolkiah, is the current ambassador-at-large to the United Nations representing the Brunei government and the only extended royal member to be part of the working royals.
Other members of the royal family with royal rank who do not carry out official duties are the Sultan's siblings, and their children are considered to be part of the lesser royal members;
Mohamed Bolkiah ibni Omar Ali Saifuddien III is a member of the royal family of Brunei. He is the second son of Omar Ali Saifuddien III, the 28th Sultan of Brunei, and Raja Isteri (Queen) Pengiran Anak Damit. After Brunei's independence in 1984, he became the country’s first foreign minister, serving from 1 January 1984 until 22 October 2015, alongside the second Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Lim Jock Seng.
Al-Muhtadee Billah ibni Hassanal Bolkiah is the eldest son of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah and his wife Queen Saleha. He is the Crown Prince of Brunei Darussalam, and is first in the line of succession to the Bruneian throne. He will eventually lead the state and government and is regarded as the second most significant figure in the political hierarchy.
Sarah binti Salleh Ab. Rahaman is the wife of the Crown Prince of Brunei, Al-Muhtadee Billah and born as the daughter of a distant member of the royal family. While attending a pre-university course at 17, she married the Crown Prince. The couple have four children.
The Paduka Seri Begawan Sultan Science College is a government secondary school and sixth form college in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei. It is regarded as Brunei's top government-run secondary school; it admits only exceptional pupils and is well-known for its rigorous standards for both academic and extracurricular accomplishment.
Pengiran Anak Saleha is a member of the royal family as the wife of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah. She is the daughter of Pengiran Anak Mohamed Alam and Pengiran Anak Besar. After her husband was crowned as the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei, she succeeded her mother-in-law, Pengiran Anak Damit, as Raja Isteri. She is the mother of Crown Prince Al-Muhtadee Billah.
Masna Bolkiah binti Omar Ali Saifuddien III is the sister of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah. Princess Masna Bolkiah is considered the third most important living woman in Brunei Darussalam after Queen Saleha and Crown Princess Sarah.
The Pingat Hassanal Bolkiah Sultan is an honorary medal of Brunei. The award is subdivided into two classes: the first class Darjah Pertama and the second class Darjah Kedua.
Hassanal Bolkiah is Sultan of Brunei since 1967, and prime minister of Brunei since independence from the United Kingdom in 1984. He is one of the few remaining absolute monarchs in the world.
Pengiran Anak Mohamed Alam, sometimes spelled Muhammad Alam, was a nobleman, magistrate and politician who became the fourth Speaker of the Brunei Legislative Council from 1971 until 1974 and Chief of Jabatan Adat Istiadat Negara from 1954 to 1981. He is the father of Pengiran Anak Saleha, the queen consort of Hassanal Bolkiah, the current Sultan of Brunei. He was also a maternal grandfather of Al-Muhtadee Billah, the Crown Prince.
The Most Esteemed Family Order of Laila Utama is an order of Brunei. It was established on 1 March 1954 by Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien III. The order carries the post-nominal letters "DK" or "DK I" as well as the title "Dato Laila Utama".
The Royal Family Order of the Crown of Brunei is an order of Brunei. It was established on 15 August 1982 by Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah. The order carries the post-nominal letters "DKMB".
Pengiran Anak Damit was the Queen of Brunei as the wife of the 28th Sultan of Brunei, Omar Ali Saifuddien III.
Azemah Ni'matul Bolkiah (born 26 September 1984) is a polo player and princess of Brunei. She is the eighth child of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei by his former second wife, Puan Hajah Mariam. She made a name for herself in 2017 when she was one of only two female polo players from Brunei in Kuala Lumpur at the 29th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games. As one of the ten ASEAN Women in Sports ambassadors in 2021, Princess Azemah was chosen to represent Brunei as part of the ASEAN #WeScore campaign, which is sponsored by Japan.
Pengiran Anak Abdul Aziz is a nobleman and formerly a police officer from Brunei who previously served as the Controller of the Royal Customs and Excise of Brunei, member of the Royal Succession Council, member of the Royal Council, and the Chief of Jabatan Adat Istiadat Negara. He was one of the concept contributors for the change in the name of the Police Force to the Royal Brunei Police Force (RBPF) as a Royal Dignitary, a State Dignitary, and a Member of Councils. Notably, he also made changes to the flag, the pattern, and the uniform color of the department's officers and staffs during his tenure as the Controller of the Royal Customs and Excise.
Hafizah Sururul Bolkiah is the fifth child of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah and Queen Saleha.
Pengiran Raabi'atul Adawiyyah binti Pengiran Haji Bolkiah is a Bruneian data analyst and a member of the royal family of Brunei as the wife of Prince Abdul Malik, the second son of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah.
Pengiran Anak Haji Muhammad Bey Muntassir was a member of the royal family of Brunei as the husband of Princess Amal Jefriah Bolkiah, the sixth daughter of Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien III, and brother-in-law to Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah. Additionally, he was also a member of the Brunei Privy Council.
Pengiran Anak Idris is a Bruneian nobleman and member of the royal family who became the prince consort to Princess Amal Umi Kalthum Al-Islam in 1972, the daughter of Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien III. He is the current Chief of Jabatan Adat Istiadat Negara, a member of the Privy Council of Brunei, and assistant chairman of Adat Istiadat Council, and Yayasan Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah's board of governors.