The Sultan of Brunei removes the title from one of the princesses "for inappropriate behavior"
She was the fourth occupant of the line of succession
BarcelonaHassanal Bolkiah, absolute monarch of Brunei, has issued a royal decree in which he withdraws the title of princess and the treatment of Highness from his daughter-in-law, Pengiran Raabi’atul Adawiyyah. The young woman, 33 years old, is the wife of the sultan's second son, Prince Malik, who holds the fourth position in the line of succession to the throne.
As befits this autocracy where information is fiercely controlled by the state apparatus, there is no information about the reasons that have led Bolkiah to divest her of her honors, beyond a statement saying that the measure has "immediate effects" and is due to "actions considered inappropriate for the wife of a member of the royal family as they tarnish the reputation and constitute a serious lack of respect towards His Majesty". It is not clarified what the spark that precipitated the events has been, but rumors point to a possible imminent divorce of the couple.
Divorces, in fact, are not alien to the Sultan's personal history, who these days is enjoying the national celebrations marking his birthday (this year a round number: 80). He himself married on three occasions, although he has divorced twice. He remains united only to his first wife, his first cousin, Queen Saleha.
It is with her that he has had six children, including Malik and another son, Prince and heir Al-Muhtadee Billah, who are the only two entitled to the throne, as the four daughters are excluded for being women. In the second and third positions of the line of succession are Al-Muhtadee's sons. In addition, they have a court of half-siblings, including Brunei's most media-savvy prince, Abdul Mateen, who is the product of Bolkiah's second marriage. If the divorce between Malik and Raabi'atul is finally confirmed, they will have been married for just over ten years. The couple has had four children during this time.
