Hassanal Bolkiah Muiz'zaddin Wad'daulah (born 15 July 1946) has reigned as the sultan of Brunei since 1967, and has also served as the prime minister of Brunei since its independence from British rule in 1984. He is among the world's few remaining absolute monarchs.
The eldest son of Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien III and Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Damit, he is the 29th sultan to ascend to the Bruneian throne, following the abdication of his father in 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 $50 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.
Pengiran Muda (Prince) Hassanal Bolkiah was born during the reign of his uncle Sultan Ahmad Tajuddin on 15 July 1946, in Istana Darussalam. His father, the Pengiran Bendahara Seri Maharaja Permaisuara at that time, was the heir presumptive of Brunei which put him second in line to the throne at the time of his birth. Prince Mohamed Bolkiah, Prince Sufri Bolkiah, and Prince Jefri Bolkiah are his three brothers, while Princess Masna, Princess Nor'ain, Princess Umi Kalthum Al-Islam, Princess Amal Rakiah, Princess Amal Nasibah, and Princess Amal Jefriah are his six sisters.
His education at the Istana Darul Hana Surau began in the latter part of 1955 and finished in the first week of 1959. Abdul Ghani bin Jamil revealed in an interview that in addition to Hassanal Bolkiah, among the students at the surau were Prince Mohamed Bolkiah, Princess Masna Bolkiah, Princess Nor'ain, Pengiran Anak Saleha, Pengiran Muda Abdul Rahman, Pengiran Anak Yusof, Pengiran Anak Puteh, Pengiran Anak Ja'afar, and Pengiran Muda Apong. They range in age from five to ten years old, with Abdul Ghani stating that Hassanal Bolkiah is the oldest by far.
Hassanal Bolkiah finished his third grade schooling at the Jamalul Alam Malay School in Brunei Town in 1955 when he was nine years old. Abdul Rahman bin Haii Mohd. Ja'afar was the teacher assigned to him and the prince only received instruction from Abdul Rahman for three to four months, following which he ceased receiving "Private Tuition" for a month at the surau. He was able to read English literature in three months, and after four years, he had reached the sixth grade of primary schooling. He prefers to study the sciences, languages, and history from a subject standpoint.
For over four years, Hassanal Bolkiah attended school at the Istana Darul Hana Surau before relocating to Kuala Lumpur to further his education. He originally attended Jalan Gurney School before studying at Victoria Institution from January 1961 to December 1963. As a result, he became the first Sultan of Brunei to complete his education both domestically and abroad. According to V. Murugasu, the headmaster of Victoria Institution, he has demonstrated qualities of a great and responsible leader since he was a student. While at Victoria Institution, he enlisted in the Cadet Corps and was named best recruit in 1961. He wasn't the only royal or nobleman at the institution, according to G. E. D. Lewis, the school principal, thus the prize was given solely on the basis of merit. He had attained the rank of Lance Corporal when he left the institution.
At the age of fifteen, he was crowned as Yang Maha Mulia Seri Paduka Duli Pengiran Muda Mahkota (His Royal Highness the Crown Prince) on 14 July 1961. Notably, the 2nd Gurkha Rifles were dispatched to Brunei in December 1962, the month the Brunei revolt began. Lieutenant Colonel Digby Willoughby and a small Royal Gurkha Rifles squad helped to rescue his father and him from their palace, and his father was eternally grateful for Willoughby's actions on that day.
Due to the strained relations between Brunei and Malaysia in 1963, Hassanal Bolkiah went back to Brunei to complete his education at an English school, Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien College. The wedding between Pengiran Anak Saleha and Hassanal Bolkiah took place in the palace on 29 July 1965. He later enrolled as a cadet officer at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (RMAS) on 4 January 1966. On 16 August, he praised the launch of two ships by Sharikat Limbongan Kapal Takehara Berhad, highlighting the Japanese company's investment as beneficial for Brunei and stressing the importance of pursuing domestic enterprises over relying on specific income sources.
He and his wife bade farewell to state dignitaries early on 7 September 1966, and departed Brunei Airport for England. He pursued studies in English, mathematics, science, military science and international affairs, with a focus on the country of Russia, throughout his time at the RMAS. He gave particular emphasis to the study of the significance of technical and strategic development. The two most crucial skills for his future, self-discipline and responsibility, were the focus of his training at the RMAS. He graduated and was commissioned as an Honorary Captain in the Coldstream Guards on 1 March 1968.
Omar Ali Saifuddien III announced his abdication on the evening of 4 October 1967. Hassanal Bolkiah, then aged 21, immediately returned to Brunei from England to assume his father's responsibilities as leader of the country's government and populace. At night, Pengiran Pemancha Anak Haji Mohamed Alam, the Chief of Adat Istiadat Negara, made the abdication public on Radio Brunei.
Hassanal Bolkiah's proclamation took place the next day, on 5 October 1967, at 3:00 p.m., in a public ceremony in the Balai Singgahsana of Istana Darul Hana, in which he was designated Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah Muiz'zaddin Wad'daulah, the 29th Sultan of Brunei. State dignitaries, including the Wazir, Cheteria, Acting Menteri Besar, and Legislative Council (LegCo) members, were present during the occasion.
The Acting Menteri Besar represented government officials at the ceremony by pledging, "loyalty that does not waver even for a single point and is similar to what was once offered to Paduka Ayahanda Baginda (His Majesty's Father)... His Majesty will follow in the footsteps and example of Paduka Ayahanda Baginda in performing his role as Sultan." In Hassanal Bolkiah's first titah (speech) inside the Balai Singgahsana as Sultan of Brunei, he stated:
I, as Sultan of Negara Brunei Darussalam, would endeavour to carry out the policies of my dear father, and would always safeguard and preserve the peace, tranquility and prosperity of the country.
A meeting of the country's nobles and high-ranking officials was held six months prior to the date of Perpuspaan (Coronation) to decide what would be done in the ceremony. An official announcement was sent to all districts of Brunei, and from that point on Bukit Sungai Kebun a red flag was raised, and on Bukit Panggal a yellow flag. On 8 January 1968, at 8:15 pm, the Acting Menteri Besar announced the date of the coronation on Radio Brunei:
So I hereby act as Acting Chief Administrative Officer of the State of Brunei to uphold the agreement that has been approved by His Majesty the Sultan in the Privy Council which convened on the 8 January 1968, declared that the date of the coronation of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah Muiz'zaddin Wad'daulah, Sultan of Brunei, will be held on the 1 August 1968, same to 6 Jamadil-Awal 1388, that is on Thursday.
On 1 February 1968, two groups of individuals left for Bukit Panggal and Bukit Sungai Kebun. Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Perdana Haji Muhammad officially hoisted the red ceremonial flag on Bukit Sungai Kebun while the yellow flag on Bukit Panggal was raised by Yang Dimuliakan Pehin Orang Kaya Shahbandar Haji Ahmad. According to Bruneian tradition, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah Mu'izzaddin Waddaulah's coronation begins with the flag raising ceremonies in these two communities of the red and yellow flags. The coverage of the coronation that Radio Brunei and the Information Department provided was hailed as the year's most excellent program. Furthermore, the Coronation Committee contracted a Japanese film firm to make a coloured film that documented the occasion. The film was distributed in 35 mm and 16 mm films for global distribution.