
Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah
Sultan of Brunei
Education
- High school - Victoria Institution in Kuala Lumpur
- Graduated - Universiti Brunei Darussalam
Overview
Hassanal Bolkiah ibni Omar Ali Saifuddien III is Sultan of Brunei since 1967 and the Prime Minister of Brunei since independence from the United Kingdom in 1984. He is one of the few absolute monarchs in the world. The eldest son of Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien III and Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Damit, he succeeded to the throne as the 29th sultan of Brunei following the abdication of his father on 5 October 1967.
The sultan has been ranked among the wealthiest individuals in the world. As of 2023, Hassanal Bolkiah is said to have a net worth of $30 billion. He is the world's longest-reigning current monarch and the longest-serving current head of state. On 5 October 2017, Bolkiah celebrated his Golden Jubilee to mark the 50th year of his reign.
Early Life
The sultan was born 15 July 1946 during the reign of his uncle, Sultan Ahmad Tajuddin on 15 July 1946, in Istana Darussalam, Brunei Town (now called Bandar Seri Begawan) as Pengiran Muda Mahkota (Crown Prince) Hassanal Bolkiah. His father, the Bendahara at that time was the Heir presumptive of Brunei which puts Hassanal Bolkiah second in line to the Throne at the time of his birth. The sultan received high school education at Victoria Institution in Kuala Lumpur, after which he attended the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in the United Kingdom, graduating in 1967.
Notably, the 2nd Gurkha Rifles were dispatched to Brunei in 1962, the year the Brunei Revolt began. Digby Willoughby and a small squad of Gurkha troops helped to rescue his father and him from their palace, and his father was eternally grateful for Willoughby's actions on that day.
Career
- Brunei - Sultan