The Sultan of Brunei has stripped his daughter-in-law of all her royal titles following conduct deemed “unbecoming” of the royal family.
Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, 80, issued a royal command revoking the title “Yang Amat Mulia Pengiran Anak Isteri” from Pengiran Raabi’atul Adawiyyah, 33, with immediate effect. The announcement came Thursday evening via Brunei’s national broadcaster RTB News, delivered by Acting Grand Chamberlain Pengiran Haji Raffizanna Pengiran Haji Razali.
The chamberlain stated the matter was a direct royal command from the sultan himself. According to the broadcast, the revocation followed conduct by Pengiran Raabi’atul Adawiyyah that was deemed “unbecoming of a spouse of a member of the royal family.” The announcement further noted her actions had “tarnished the monarchy’s good name” and demonstrated “a lack of respect towards Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah.”
The palace statement did not specify what exactly Pengiran did to offend the sultan, nor did it provide any additional details about the incident or when the alleged behavior occurred.
Pengiran Raabi’atul Adawiyyah married Prince Abdul Malik, 36, in April 2015, with the couple enjoying a lavish, 10-day ceremony at Istana Nurul Iman, the royal palace in Bandar Seri Begawan. The wedding drew international attention for its opulence, with Raabi’atul appearing in a yellow ensemble paired with Christian Louboutin shoes and a diamond and gemstone tiara during one of the royal wedding events.
The couple has four children together: Princess Muthee’ah, 10, Princess Fathiyyah, eight, Princess Khaalishah, six, and Princess Nabeelah, 16 months. Their father, Prince Abdul Malik, is fourth in line to the throne of Brunei, a tiny oil-rich nation surrounded by Malaysia and the South China Sea.
While the sultan revoked Pengiran’s royal titles, those of her children were left unaffected, according to the palace announcement. No divorce involving Pengiran Raabi’atul Adawiyyah and Prince Abdul Malik was announced alongside the withdrawal of her title.
Born October 27, 1992, Raabi’atul is the daughter of nobleman Pengiran Haji Bolkiah and Pengiran Hajah Noor’aismah. Before joining the royal family, she worked in information technology, holding positions as a System Data Analyst at BAG Networks and later as an IT Instructor at HAD Technologies. She also had several ICT certifications including Internet and Computing Core Certification and Microsoft Office Specialist.
In the viral moment that preceded this development, Brunei’s monarchy had faced sustained international scrutiny over Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah’s previous policies. The sultan was previously the target of global backlash in 2019 when he advocated implementing the death penalty by stoning for gay sex and adultery under Brunei’s strict Islamic law. Stars including George Clooney and Elton John led protests and boycotts against hotels owned by the Brunei Investment Agency. The sultan later extended a moratorium on the death penalty but did not repeal the underlying laws.
Bolkiah has served as both Brunei’s sultan and prime minister ever since the country gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1984. He is the world’s longest-reigning living monarch and one of the wealthiest, with an estimated fortune built on the country’s oil and natural gas reserves. The sultan has previously removed royal titles from former wives, divorcing his second wife Mariam Abdul Aziz in 2003 and his third wife Azrinaz Mazhar Hakim in 2010, both of whom lost their titles upon dissolution of their marriages.