Gladys Milton Palmer, Dayang Muda of Sarawak, also known as Khair-ul-Nissa and Khair un-nisa binti 'Abdu'llah, (8 January 1884 – 12 June 1952) was a British film producer and heiress. Through her marriage to

Bertram Willes Dayrell Brooke Captain Bertram Willes Dayrell Brooke, Tuan Muda of Sarawak (8 August 1876, in Kuching – 15 September 1965, in Weybridge, Surrey) was a member of the family of White Rajahs who ruled Sarawak for a hundred years. Life Brooke was the son of Char ...

, she was a member of the ruling dynasty of Sarawak.

Biography

Early life and family

Palmer was born on 8 January 1884 into a prominent

Quaker Quakers are people who belong to a historically Protestant Christian set of Christian denomination, denominations known formally as the Religious Society of Friends. Members of these movements ("theFriends") are generally united by a belie ...

family. She was the only child of

Sir Walter Palmer, 1st Baronet Sir Walter Palmer, 1st Baronet (4 February 1858 – 16 April 1910) was a biscuit manufacturer and Conservative Party politician who served in the House of Commons from 1900 to 1906. Palmer was born in Reading, Berkshire the son of George Palme ...

and Jean Craig. Her paternal grandfather was George Palmer, a proprietor of

Huntley & Palmers Huntley & Palmers is a British company of biscuit makers originally based in Reading, Berkshire. Formed by Joseph Huntley in 1822, the company became one of the world's first global brands (chiefly led by George Palmer who joined in 1841) and r ...

. Her maternal grandfather was the engineer and politician

William Young Craig William Young Craig (May 1827 – 1924) was a mining engineer, colliery owner and Liberal Party (UK), Liberal politician who sat in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons from 1880 to 1885. Craig was the son of John Craig of ...

. She was a niece of George William Palmer and a great-niece of

William Isaac Palmer William Isaac Palmer (1824–1893) was a member of the Palmer family, proprietors of the Huntley & Palmers biscuit manufacturers of Reading in England. He was the brother of George Palmer, the first of the Palmer family to be involved in the fir ...

Marriage and issue

On 28 June 1904 Palmer married

, the son of

Charles Brooke, Rajah of Sarawak Sir Charles Brooke, Rajah of Sarawak, GCMG (''Charles Anthoni Johnson Brooke''; 3 June 1829 – 17 May 1917), born ''Charles Anthoni Johnson'', ruled as the head of state of Raj of Sarawak from 3 August 1868 until his death. He succeeded his un ...

and Margaret de Windt. Through this marriage she became a member of the ruling dynasty of the Raj of Sarawak. After her father-in-law died in 1917, her husband's older brother,

Charles Vyner Brooke Vyner, Rajah of Sarawak, GCMG, full name Charles Vyner de Windt Brooke (26 September 1874 – 9 May 1963) was the third and last White Rajah of the Raj of Sarawak. Early life The son of Charles Brooke and his wife Margaret de Windt ( Ranee Ma ...

, succeeded the throne. Her husband was made heir presumptive and accorded the title

Tuan Muda of Sarawak The Tuan Muda of Sarawak is the title of the Heir Presumptive to the Rajah of Sarawak. It literally means "Little Lord". The wife of the Tuan Muda is known the Dayang Muda. Bertram Willes Dayrell Brooke Captain Bertram Willes Dayrell Brooke, Tua ...

and style of ''

Highness Highness (abbreviation HH, oral address Your Highness) is a formal style used to address (in second person) or refer to (in third person) certain members of a reigning or formerly reigning dynasty. It is typically used with a possessive adjecti ...

''. As the wife of the Tuan Muda, Palmer was accorded the title ''Dayang Muda'' and the style of ''Highness''. Palmer and Brooke had four children: *Jean Margaret Palmer Brooke *Elizabeth Brooke *Anne Elaine Primula Brooke *

Anthony Walter Dayrell Brooke Anthony Walter Dayrell Brooke (10 December 1912 – 2 March 2011) was appointed the Rajah Muda of Sarawak (heir apparent; Malay: ''Yang Amat Mulia Tuan Rajah Muda Sarawak'') on 25 August 1937, by his uncle, Rajah Charles Vyner Brooke, Vyner of Sa ...

Career

In 1922 Palmer formed a film company called Big Four Famous Productions Company. She produced one film, ''

Potter's Clay ''Potter's Clay'' is a 1922 British silent drama film directed by H. Grenville-Taylor and Douglas Payne and starring Ellen Terry, Dick Webb, and Peggy Hathaway.Low p.429 Cast * Ellen Terry as Lady Merrall * Dick Webb as Clifford Merrall ...

'' which featured the actress Dame Alice Ellen Terry.

Later life and death

In 1932 Palmer converted from Christianity to

Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...

. Stating that she wished her "conversion to be performed on no earthly territory", she chartered an Imperial Airways 42-seat airliner to fly from

Croydon Airport Croydon Airport (former ICAO code: EGCR) was the UK's only international airport during the interwar period. Located in Croydon, South London, England, it opened in 1920, built in a Neoclassical style, and was developed as Britain's main air ...

to Paris. Another British Muslim convert, Khalid Sheldrake, conducted the ceremony over the English Channel. Sheldrake gave her the Arabic name "Khair-ul-Nissa" ("fairest of women") or "Khair un-nisa binti 'Abdu'llah". Palmer died on 12 June 1952 and was buried at St Leonard's in

Sheepstor Sheepstor is a village, civil parish and former manor on the western side of Dartmoor in the county of Devon, England. In 2001, its population was 53, down from 95 in 1901. For administrative purposes the parish is grouped with the parishes of ...

, Devon.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Palmer, Gladys Milton 1884 births 1952 deaths British film production company founders British women film producers British former Christians British Muslims Converts to Islam from Protestantism Former Quakers Daughters of baronets Gladys Milton Princesses by marriage Sarawak royalty