Prince Abdul Azim of Brunei

Early life

Prince Azim was born on 29 July 1982 in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei to Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah and his former second wife, Mariam Abdul Aziz. His parents divorced in February 2003. He was the second son of the Sultan and sixth child of the Sultan. Azim has three younger full siblings: Princess Azemah, Princess Fadzilah, and Prince Mateen along with eight half siblings from his father's other marriages.

He was raised at Istana Nurul Izzah in Kampong Jerudong, Brunei. The palace was built in the mid-1980s for the then Princess Consort Mariam and her children.

Education

Prince Azim completed his primary and secondary education at International School Brunei in Bandar Seri Begawan and Raffles Institution in Singapore.

In 2008, Prince Azim started the nine-month officer training course at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, but he dropped out after one week.

Career

Prince Azim was a producer with the London-based film company Daryl Prince Productions which produced You're Not You. The implementation of sharia law by his father was poorly received in Hollywood and led to a boycott of properties owned by Brunei. Azim is thought to have cancelled his attendance at a party for buyers of You're Not You because of the controversy.

Royal duties

Prince Azim was an advocate for the arts and creative industries and championed and donated to several causes around youth and people with disabilities.

In 2009, he designed unisex weekend bags for MCM. The proceeds went to the Make A Wish Foundation UK, a charity in which he was one of the patrons.

In May 2011, at a charity show in Brunei Darussalam, held at the Empire Hotel and Country Club's Indera Samudra Hall at which 31 persons with autism performed, Prince Azim said that those with autism should be treated with respect, "as would to any of your family members". On 27 April 2013 at the opening of the 2nd ASEAN Autism Network (AAN) Congress, he urged that appropriate support be given to families with autistic family members.

Personal life

Prince Azim was a prominent figure of the international jetset. He was reported to have had a net worth of US$5 billion at the time of his death.

In April 2019, Prince Azim was outed as gay by blogger Perez Hilton, in response to the Sultan of Brunei's introduction of Sharia law, which included the death penalty for gay people. Prince Azim responded by saying that he did not mind being outed, but he was concerned that it "probably hurt a few people in the community".

After his death it was revealed that he suffered from bipolar disorder.

Death

Prince Azim died on 24 October 2020, at the age of 38, at Jerudong Park Medical Centre in Kampong Jerudong, Brunei. The royal court did not announce his cause of death but on October 27th his brother, Prince Mateen, revealed that Azim died from multiple organ failure which was caused by persistent infections due to severe systemic vasculitis that he was diagnosed with in early 2020.

The government of Brunei announced a seven-day period of mourning and ordered all national flags be lowered to half-mast. Prince Azim was laid to rest beside his grandfather, Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien III, at the Royal Mausoleum in Bandar Seri Begawan after the Asar prayers.

Foreign dignitaries including Sultan Ibrahim Ismail of Johor, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin of Malaysia, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong of Singapore, and President Halimah Yacob of Singapore all sent their condolences. Some celebrities like Joan Collins, Janet Jackson, Daniel Lismore, and Kevin McHale also offered their condolences on social media.

Titles, styles, and honours

Title and style

His full title and style was It is usually translated in English as His Royal Highness Prince Azim of Brunei.

Honours

National

• [[File:Royal Family Order of the Crown of Brunei (DKMB).svg|50x50px]] Order of the Crown of Brunei (DKMB)
• [[File:Sultan_Hassanal_Bolkiah_Medal.svg|50x50px]] Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah Medal (PHBS)
• [[File:National_Day_Silver_Jubilee_Medal_(Brunei).svg|50x50px]] National Day Silver Jubilee Medal (23 February 2009)
• [[File:Proclamation_of_Independence_Medal_(Brunei).svg|50x50px]] Proclamation of Independence Medal (1 January 1984)
• [[File:Sultan_Hassanal_Bolkiah_Golden_Jubilee_Medal.svg|50x50px]] Sultan of Brunei Golden Jubilee Medal (5 October 2017)
• [[File:Sultan_Hassanal_Bolkiah_Silver_Jubilee_Medal.svg|50x50px]] Sultan of Brunei Silver Jubilee Medal (5 October 1992).

Foreign

• Terengganu
  • [[File:MY-TER Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin Coronation Medal ribbon bar.png|50px]] Recipient of the Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin Coronation Medal (4 March 1999)

Things named after him

• Pengiran Muda Abdul Azim Religious School, Kampong Serasa.
• Haji Abdul Azim Mosque, Kampong Luagan Dudok

Ancestry

References

References

1. Bandial, Ain. (24 October 2020). "HRH Prince Azim passes away at 38". The Scoop.
2. (3 February 2003). "Sultan divorces wife No 2".
3. (25 January 2022). "Meet Brunei’s crazy rich royal siblings: Princess Fadzilah is sister to dashing SEA Games star Mateen, polo playing Azemah and the late Prince Azim".
4. (15 March 1995). "Brunei Darussalam Newsletter".
5. (1997). "Historical Dictionary of Brunei Darussalam". Scarecrow Press.
6. (7 September 2008). "His Majesty attends HRH Prince Hj Abdul Azim's convocation".
7. (26 October 2020). "Prince Azim of Brunei obituary".
8. (14 May 2014). "Cannes: Sultan of Brunei's Son Debuts Film Amid Beverly Hills Hotel Boycott".
9. [http://www.dailyexpress.co.uk/posts/view/49493 "How to Keep in Style This Summer..."] {{Webarchive. link. (18 September 2010 . ''[[The Daily Express]]''. 23 June 2008)
10. [http://www.make-a-wish.org.uk/fundraising/events-and-challenges/attend-a-make-a-wish-event/winter-ball/ "Winter Ball – London 24/11/2012"] {{Webarchive. link. (24 January 2013 . [[Make-A-Wish United Kingdom]]. Retrieved 3 January 2013.)
11. Thien, Rachel. (21 July 2011). "Treat autistic with respect, says HRH". The Brunei Times.
12. Othman, Azlan. (28 April 2013). "Royal Call For Autism Friendly Community". Sultanate News.
13. Rebecca Wright. (9 April 2019). "Is the sultan of Brunei imposing Sharia law to clean up his family's image?".
14. (26 June 2012). "Prince Azim of Brunei with his birthday belles, including Jerry Hall".
15. (24 October 2020). "Prince Azim dies: What was the net worth of Sultan of Brunei's son? The 38-yr-old enriched inheritance by producing movies".
16. (8 April 2019). "Perez Hilton outs Sultan of Brunei's son".
17. (15 April 2019). "Consider me shocked. And this is about to make global headlines! The Sultan of Brunei's son, Prince Azim, just sent me the following email!!!".
18. (24 October 2020). "Nation Mourns Loss of a Prince".
19. (29 October 2020). "Prince Azim died from multiple organ failure, says brother".
20. "Mateen on Instagram: "🤍"".
21. (27 October 2020). "Brunei’s Prince Azim, Hollywood Producer, Dies at 38".
22. (1 November 2020). "Hollywood producer Prince Azim of Brunei dies aged 38".
23. (28 October 2020). "Brunei's Prince Azim died from multiple organ failure, says brother".
24. Al-Sufri, Jamil. (2002). "Adat Istiadat Diraja Brunei". Jabatan Adat Istiadat Negara.
25. (25 October 2020). "Brunei marks 171 days without Covid-19 local transmissions". The Star (Malaysia).
26. "Rano360.com » The Royal Procession".