A senior royal in Brunei has been stripped of her royal titles following “unbecoming” behaviour, according to reports. Pengiran Raabi'atul Adawiyyah, married to the fourth-in-line to the Brunei throne, lost her titles last week after a decree from the Sultan.
Revocation confirmed by Grand Chamberlain
The Office of the Grand Chamberlain confirmed on August 7 that the royal titles had been taken from her. The statement read: “The revocation was carried out following conduct by Pengiran Raabi'atul Adawiyyah that was deemed unbecoming of a spouse of a member of the Royal Family. Her actions were also found to have tarnished the monarchy's good name and demonstrated a lack of respect towards Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah”.
While it is not known what Prince Abdul Malik’s wife did to lose her titles, it is believed she carried out actions that “tarnished the monarchy’s good name”.
Marriage and children unaffected
The former princess joined the Brunei Royal Family when she married Prince Abdul Malik in 2015. The couple have four children together: Princess Muthee'ah, ten, Princess Fathiyyah, eight, Princess Khaalishah, six, and Princess Nabeelah, 16 months. The children have not lost their royal titles as a result of this change.
As reported by Hello magazine, it is unclear what prompted the loss of her titles. The Sultan of Brunei has stripped people of their titles before, including two of his wives after divorcing them. However, Abdul Malik and Pengiran have not announced they are seeking an end to their marriage, leaving more questions as to why she has lost her titles.
Precedent for stripping titles
It is not uncommon for royals to have their titles stripped if they are considered to have damaged the monarchy's reputation. Another example is Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, who lost his royal titles in the UK last year following scandals surrounding his previous friendship with Jeffrey Epstein. Andrew has always denied any wrongdoing and the accusations against him.
