Crown Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah bin Hassanal Bolkiah ( ar, المهتدي بالله) (born 17 February 1974) is the eldest son of Sultan

Hassanal Bolkiah Hassanal Bolkiah ibni Omar Ali Saifuddien III ( Jawi: ; born 15 July 1946) is the 29th and current Sultan and Yang di-Pertuan of Brunei since 1967 and the Prime Minister of Brunei since independence from the United Kingdom in 1984. He is one ...

and his wife Queen Saleha. He is the

Crown Prince A crown prince or hereditary prince is the heir apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The female form of the title is crown princess, which may refer either to an heiress apparent or, especially in earlier times, to the wif ...

Brunei Darussalam Brunei ( , ), formally Brunei Darussalam ( ms, Negara Brunei Darussalam, Jawi: , ), is a country located on the north coast of the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. Apart from its South China Sea coast, it is completely surrounded by the ...

and is first in the

line of succession to the Bruneian throne Succession to the throne of Brunei is amongst the legitimate male descendants of Sultan Hashim Jalilul Alam Aqamaddin. * '' Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien III (1914–1986)'' ** Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah (born 1946) *** (1) Crown Prince Al-Muhtade ...

. Al-Muhtadee Billah holds the position of senior minister of the Prime Minister's Office of Brunei,

General A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of highest military ranks, high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers t ...

of the

Royal Brunei Armed Forces The Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF); ms, Angkatan Bersenjata Diraja Brunei, (ABDB), is the collective term for the military forces of the sultanate of Brunei Darussalam. They consist of the Royal Brunei Land Forces (RBLF), the Royal Brunei ...

and Deputy

Inspector General An inspector general is an investigative official in a civil or military organization. The plural of the term is "inspectors general". Australia The Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security (Australia) (IGIS) is an independent statutory off ...

of the

Royal Brunei Police Force The Royal Brunei Police Force, RBPF ( ms, Polis Diraja Brunei (PDB) is in charge of keeping law and order in Brunei. The RBPF has been one of the 190 members of INTERPOL, an intergovernmental organisation worldwide since 1984. With a force of ...

Early life

Prince Al-Muhtadee Billah was born at ''Istana Darul Hana'', Bandar Seri Begawan on 17 February 1974. He is the first-born son and heir to the throne of Brunei. He is the son of

Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah Hassanal Bolkiah ibni Omar Ali Saifuddien III ( Jawi: ; born 15 July 1946) is the 29th and current Sultan and Yang di-Pertuan of Brunei since 1967 and the Prime Minister of Brunei since independence from the United Kingdom in 1984. He is one ...

and

Pengiran Anak Saleha Saleha binti Mohamed Alam (born 7 October 1946) is the Queen of Brunei as the wife of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, the current Sultan of Brunei. She is the daughter of Pengiran Pemancha Pengiran Anak Haji Mohammad Alam and Pengiran Anak Hajah Be ...

(both first cousins). His paternal grandparents were Sultan

Omar Ali Saifuddien III Sultan Sir Omar Ali Saifuddien Sa'adul Khairi Waddien ( Jawi: ; 23 September 1914 – 7 September 1986) was the 28th Sultan of Brunei, reigning from 4 June 1950 until his abdication from the throne on 5 October 1967. He was also Brunei's fir ...

and Pengiran Anak Damit. His maternal grandparents were Pengiran Pemancha Pengiran Anak Haji Mohammad Alam and Pengiran Anak Hajah Besar.

Education

Al-Muhtadee Billah's education began early in life, at the Prince-Princess School at the Istana Darul Hana. He also had his primary education at St. Andrew's School in

Bandar Seri Begawan Bandar Seri Begawan (BSB; Jawi: بندر سري بڬاوان; ) is the capital city of Brunei. It is officially a municipal area () with an area of and an estimated population of 100,700 as of 2007. It is part of Brunei-Muara District, the sm ...

. Subsequently, he progressed through the

Brunei Junior Certificate of Education Brunei ( , ), formally Brunei Darussalam ( ms, Negara Brunei Darussalam, Jawi: , ), is a country located on the north coast of the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. Apart from its South China Sea coast, it is completely surrounded by the ...

in 1988, and the

General Certificate of Education The General Certificate of Education (GCE) is a subject-specific family of academic qualifications used in awarding bodies in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, Crown dependencies and a few Commonwealth countries. For some time, the Scottish ed ...

(GCE)

Ordinary Level The O-Level (Ordinary Level) is a subject-based qualification conferred as part of the General Certificate of Education. It was introduced in place of the School Certificate in 1951 as part of an educational reform alongside the more in-depth ...

Exam in 1991 while he was studying at the

Paduka Seri Begawan Sultan Science College Paduka Seri Begawan Sultan Science College (, abbreviated as ''MSPSBS'', , or simply ) is a selective government secondary school and sixth form college in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei. It was founded in 1966 and is named after the 28th Sultan of ...

. He was further educated at

Emanuel School Emanuel School is an independent, co-educational day school in Battersea, south-west London. The school was founded in 1594 by Anne Sackville, Lady Dacre and Queen Elizabeth I and occupies a 12-acre (4.9 ha) site close to Clapham Junction ra ...

in London. He passed his

GCE Advanced Level The A-Level (Advanced Level) is a subject-based qualification conferred as part of the General Certificate of Education, as well as a school leaving qualification offered by the educational bodies in the United Kingdom and the educational aut ...

exams in 1994. Al-Muhtadee Billah attended tutorials at the

University of Brunei Darussalam Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD; Jawi: ) is a national research university located in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei. It was established in 1985 and has since become the largest university in the country in terms of student enrollment and curric ...

and began his overseas education at the

Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies The Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies (OCIS) was founded in 1985. It is a centre for the advanced study of Islam and Muslim societies located in Oxford, England, and a registered educational charity. Its Patron is The Prince of Wales. In 2012 it ...

in October 1995. He matriculated for admission to

University of Oxford , mottoeng = The Lord is my light , established = , endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019) , budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20) , chancellor ...

's Foreign Service Programme at

Magdalen College, Oxford Magdalen College (, ) is a constituent college of the University of Oxford. It was founded in 1458 by William of Waynflete. Today, it is the fourth wealthiest college, with a financial endowment of £332.1 million as of 2019 and one of the s ...

, where he graduated in 1997. While at Oxford, he followed a program of study specially designed for him involving

Islamic studies Islamic studies refers to the academic study of Islam, and generally to academic multidisciplinary "studies" programs—programs similar to others that focus on the history, texts and theologies of other religious traditions, such as Easter ...

trade Trade involves the transfer of goods and services from one person or entity to another, often in exchange for money. Economists refer to a system or network that allows trade as a market. An early form of trade, barter, saw the direct excha ...

diplomacy Diplomacy comprises spoken or written communication by representatives of states (such as leaders and diplomats) intended to influence events in the international system.Ronald Peter Barston, ''Modern diplomacy'', Pearson Education, 2006, p. 1 ...

and

international relations International relations (IR), sometimes referred to as international studies and international affairs, is the scientific study of interactions between sovereign states. In a broader sense, it concerns all activities between states—such as ...

. He received his Diploma in

diplomatics Diplomatics (in American English, and in most anglophone countries), or diplomatic (in British English), is a scholarly discipline centred on the critical analysis of documents: especially, historical documents. It focuses on the conventions, p ...

Studies in a special convocation held on 3 August 1998 in Bandar Seri Begawan. In 1988 Al-Muhtadee Billah completed the reading of the Quran and the 'ayat-ayat lazim' and also studied various aspects of Islamic teachings.

Proclamation as Crown Prince

Al-Muhtadee Billah was proclaimed Crown Prince of Brunei on 10 August 1998 at the

Istana Nurul Iman The Istana Nurul Iman ( Jawi: ايستان نور الإيمان; English: The Light of Faith Palace) is the official residence of the Sultan of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah, and the seat of the Brunei government. The palace is located on a lea ...

. At the ceremony, his father, the Sultan of Brunei, bestowed upon him the 'Keris Si Naga'. This put him in line to become the 30th

Sultan of Brunei The sultan of Brunei is the monarchical head of state of Brunei and head of government in his capacity as prime minister of Brunei. Since independence from the British in 1984, only one sultan has reigned, though the royal institution dates bac ...

. The ceremony was followed by the procession around the capital, Bandar Seri Begawan.

Role in government

In preparing to become the future leader and head of the country, Al-Muhtadee Billah holds several roles in government. He is the Senior Minister at the Prime Minister's Office, a general in the Royal Brunei Armed Forces, and the Deputy Inspector General of the Royal Brunei Police Force. As Senior Minister he is also Head of the National Disaster Management Committee. As the Senior Minister in the Prime Minister's Office (and the royal court), he is being intensively groomed in all aspects of governance. When his father is abroad, he is always appointed to act as the Deputy Sultan. He also grants audience to arriving and departing foreign

Ambassador An ambassador is an official envoy, especially a high-ranking diplomat who represents a state and is usually accredited to another sovereign state or to an international organization as the resident representative of their own government or sov ...

s and High Commissioners. Increasingly he appears at official functions to improve his public speaking abilities in making ''sabda'' (royal speeches of a Crown Prince). He is the

Deputy Chancellor Chancellor ( la, cancellarius) is a title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the or lattice work screens of a basilica or law cou ...

of the

and the Chancellor of the Institute Technology Brunei; once a year he awards diplomas at the convocations of both institutions.

Marriage and family

On 9 September 2004, he married 17-year-old

Pengiran Anak Sarah ''Pengiran Anak Isteri Pengiran Anak'' Sarah ( Jawi: ڤڠيرن انق استري ڤڠيرن انق ساراه) (born 9 April 1987) is the wife of the Crown Prince of Brunei, Al-Muhtadee Billah and born as the daughter of a distant member of th ...

at Nurul Iman Palace in

. Guests included

the Duke of Gloucester Duke of Gloucester () is a British royal title (after Gloucester), often conferred on one of the sons of the reigning monarch. The first four creations were in the Peerage of England and the last in the Peerage of the United Kingdom; the curren ...

, Crown Prince Naruhito of Japan, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia, Princes Bandar and Saud al-Faisal of Saudi Arabia, the King of Bahrain and other Malaysian sultans. The wedding was also attended by heads of state and government from

Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...

Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...

Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...

and the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

. The wedding included a bersanding ceremony, and a drive around Bandar Seri Begawan in a golden-topped

Rolls-Royce Rolls-Royce (always hyphenated) may refer to: * Rolls-Royce Limited, a British manufacturer of cars and later aero engines, founded in 1906, now defunct Automobiles * Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, the current car manufacturing company incorporated in ...

. The royal couple have four children. Their first child and future heir to the Brunei throne, Pengiran Muda Abdul Muntaqim, was born on 17 March 2007 at the Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Saleha Hospital. Their second child, a daughter, Pengiran Anak Muneerah Madhul Bolkiah, was born on 2 January 2011. Pengiran Anak Sarah gave birth to their third child and second son, Pengiran Muda Muhammad Aiman on 7 June 2015. Their fourth child and second daughter, Pengiran Anak Faathimah Az-Zahraa' Raihaanul Bolkiah, was born at 15:54, on 1 December 2017.

Issue

Personal interests

He owns sports cars from around the world, including a Lamborghini Murciélago LP640, a

Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren The Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren (C199 / R199 / Z199) is a grand tourer jointly developed by German automotive manufacturer Mercedes-Benz and British automobile manufacturer McLaren Automotive and sold from 2003 to 2009. When the car was develop ...

and a

Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano The Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano (internal code F141) is a grand tourer produced by Italian automobile manufacturer Ferrari. It was the brand's front engined, two-seat model that replaced the 575M Maranello in 2006 as a 2007 model, and was replaced fo ...

. He is a

pool Pool may refer to: Water pool * Swimming pool, usually an artificial structure containing a large body of water intended for swimming * Reflecting pool, a shallow pool designed to reflect a structure and its surroundings * Tide pool, a rocky pool ...

and

snooker Snooker (pronounced , ) is a cue sports, cue sport played on a Billiard table#Snooker and English billiards tables, rectangular table covered with a green cloth called baize, with six Billiard table#Pockets 2, pockets, one at each corner and o ...

enthusiast, and participated in the

2006 WPA Men's World Nine-ball Championship The 2006 WPA World Nine-ball Championship was the seventeenth edition of the WPA World Nine-ball Championship and took place between 4 and 12 November 2006 at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay, Philippines. The event was to b ...

, and later the 2008 WPA World Eight-ball Championship. The 2007 World Pool Championship was launched on 10 October at the

Sofitel Sofitel Hotels & Resorts are a French hotel chain of luxury hotels based in Paris, France, and owned by Accor since 1980. Founded in 1964 in France, Sofitel quickly developed worldwide to reach more than 200 properties. In 2008, Sofitel became a ...

Philippine Plaza Hotel in

Manila Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...

; Al-Muhtadee Billah represented Brunei in the tournament at the

Araneta Coliseum The Araneta Coliseum, also currently known by naming rights sponsorship as Smart Araneta Coliseum, is an indoor multi-purpose sports arena that is part of the Araneta City in the Cubao area of Quezon City, Philippines. Nicknamed as "the Big Dom ...

from 3 to 11 November. A football club, the Brunei DPMM FC is owned by Prince Al-Muhtadee Billah, who previously played as a goalkeeper for the team.

Biography

* * *

Honours

Sultan of Brunei visits BRIDEX 2013 Static Display 131203-F-HL283-172

National

BRU Royal Family Order of the Crown of Brunei

Recipient of the

Royal Family Order of the Crown of Brunei The Royal Family Order of the Crown of Brunei ( ms, Darjah Kerabat Mahkota 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". Recipients Bruneian ro ...

(DKMB, 15 August 1982) * BRU Order of Famous Valour

First Class (''Dato Paduka Seri'') of the Most Exalted Order of Famous Valour (DPKT, 31 May 2004) *

Pingat Hassanal Bolkiah Sultan The Pingat Hassanal Bolkiah Sultan (Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah Medal) is an honorary medal of Brunei. The award is subdivided into two classes: the first class ''Darjah Pertama'' and the second class ''Darjah Kedua''. Recipients * Al-Muhtadee Bil ...

(Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah Medal – PHBS) * Sultan%27s_Silver_Jubilee_Medal_(1992)

Sultan of Brunei Silver Jubilee Medal (5 October 1992) * Sultan's Golden Jubilee Medal (2017)

Sultan of Brunei Golden Jubilee Medal (5 October 2017)

Foreign

* : Grand Cordon with Brilliants of the

Supreme Order of the Renaissance The Supreme Order of the Renaissance (, "Medal of the Nahda") is the second knighthood order of the Kingdom of Jordan. History The order was instituted in 1917 by Emir Hussein bin Ali, Sharif of Mecca. According to correspondence between the ...

(13 May 2008) * : Lian Kiatikhounh Medal of Honour of Laos (22 March 2006) * : ** : First Class of the

Royal Family Order of Johor The Most Esteemed Royal Family Order of Johor (Bahasa Melayu : ''Darjah Kerabat Johor Yang Amat Dihormati''),World Medal IndexDecorations of Johor/ref>Colecciones Militares (Antonio Prieto Barrio)Decorations of Johor/ref> is a chivalrous order a ...

K I(10 September 2020) * : ** Grand Cross of the Order of the Crown (21 January 2013) Annadellorusso
/ref> ** Recipient of the King Willem-Alexander Inauguration Medal (30 April 2013) * : Grand Cross of the

Order of Lakandula The Order of Lakandula ( fil, Orden ni Lakandula) is one of the highest civilian Order (distinction), orders of the Philippines, established on September 19, 2003. It is Award, awarded for political and civic merit and in memory of King Lakandula� ...

(9 November 2006) * : Member First class of the

Order of Abdulaziz al Saud Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood * Heterarchy, a system of organization wherein the elements have the potential to be ranked a number of d ...

(3 January 1999) * : ''

Darjah Utama Bakti Cemerlang The Darjah Utama Bakti Cemerlang ( en, Distinguished Service Order) is a Singaporean national honour instituted in 1968. It was created to replace the ''Pingat Bakti Chemerlang'' ( en, Distinguished Service Medal) and is awarded to any person w ...

'' (Distinguished Service Order – 8 May 2006) * : Honorary Knight Grand Cross of the

Royal Victorian Order The Royal Victorian Order (french: Ordre royal de Victoria) is a dynastic order of knighthood established in 1896 by Queen Victoria. It recognises distinguished personal service to the British monarch, Canadian monarch, Australian monarch, o ...

CVO(17 September 1998)

References

External links

Pictures from 2004 wedding
, - , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Billah, Al-Muhtadee 1974 births Living people Bruneian Muslims Bruneian royalty Association football chairmen and investors Alumni of Magdalen College, Oxford People educated at Emanuel School Members of the Legislative Council of Brunei Grand Crosses of the Order of Lakandula Recipients of the Darjah Utama Bakti Cemerlang Honorary Knights Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order Cue sports players at the 2010 Asian Games Cue sports players at the 2002 Asian Games Recipients of the Order of the Crown (Netherlands) Grand Crosses of the Order of the Crown (Netherlands) Heirs apparent Bruneian footballers Association football goalkeepers DPMM FC players Asian Games competitors for Brunei

Early life

Education

Proclamation as Crown Prince

Role in government

Marriage and family

Issue

Personal interests

Biography

Honours

National

Foreign

See also

References

External links