Hassanal Bolkiah

Hassanal Bolkiah Muiz'zaddin Wad'daulah, born 15 July 1946, has been the sultan of Brunei since 1967 and its prime minister since independence from Britain in 1984. He is one of the few absolute monarchs left in the world. The oldest child of Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien III and Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Damit, he became the 29th sultan when his father abdicated in 1967. He is currently the longest-reigning living monarch and the longest-serving current head of state. In October 2017, he marked 50 years on the throne with a Golden Jubilee. His net worth is estimated at $50 billion as of 2026.

He was born during the reign of his uncle, Sultan Ahmad Tajuddin, at Istana Darussalam. At the time, his father was the heir presumptive, placing Hassanal Bolkiah second in line. He has three brothers—Mohamed, Sufri, and Jefri—and six sisters: Masna, Nor’ain, Umi Kalthum Al-Islam, Amal Rakiah, Amal Nasibah, and Amal Jefriah.

His early education began in late 1955 at the Istana Darul Hana Surau and finished in early 1959. Among his classmates there were his brother Mohamed, sisters Masna and Nor’ain, and several other royals, ranging in age from five to ten; Hassanal Bolkiah was the oldest. In 1955, at age nine, he completed third grade at Jamalul Alam Malay School in Brunei Town, taught by Abdul Rahman bin Haii Mohd. Ja’afar for three to four months. After a month without private tuition at the surau, he learned to read English literature in three months and reached sixth grade within four years. He preferred studying sciences, languages, and history.

After more than four years at the Istana Darul Hana Surau, he moved to Kuala Lumpur. He first attended Jalan Gurney School, then Victoria Institution from January 1961 to December 1963, becoming the first sultan of Brunei to be educated both at home and abroad. The headmaster noted he showed qualities of a great leader even as a student. At Victoria Institution, he joined the Cadet Corps and was named best recruit in 1961; the principal said the award was based purely on merit, as other royals were also at the school. He left as a Lance Corporal.

On 14 July 1961, at age fifteen, he was crowned Crown Prince. In December 1962, during the Brunei revolt, the 2nd Gurkha Rifles were deployed. Lieutenant Colonel Digby Willoughby and a small Gurkha squad rescued him and his father from the palace, an act his father never forgot. Strained relations with Malaysia in 1963 brought him back to Brunei, where he finished his education at Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien College, an English school. He married Pengiran Anak Saleha on 29 July 1965 at the palace. On 4 January 1966, he enrolled as a cadet officer at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (RMAS). In August, he praised the launch of two ships by a Japanese company, calling the investment good for Brunei and stressing the importance of domestic enterprises over relying on single income sources. He and his wife left for England on 7 September 1966. At RMAS, he studied English, mathematics, science, military science, and international affairs, with a focus on Russia, and emphasized technical and strategic development. His training centered on self-discipline and responsibility. He graduated and was commissioned as an Honorary Captain in the Coldstream Guards on 1 March 1968.

His father announced his abdication on the evening of 4 October 1967. Hassanal Bolkiah, then 21, returned from England to take over as head of government and the people. That night, the Chief of Adat Istiadat Negara made the abdication public on Radio Brunei. The proclamation took place the next day, 5 October 1967, at 3:00 p.m. at Istana Darul Hana, where he was declared the 29th sultan. State dignitaries, including the Wazir, Cheteria, Acting Menteri Besar, and Legislative Council members, attended.