Bandar Seri Begawan - His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei has divorced his second wife, Azrinaz Mazhar Hakim a former Malaysian television journalist on Wednesday, June 16, whom he married at a private ceremony in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 2005.

The announcement was made over Radio Television Brunei tonight and came after rumours of the royal split circulated for some time in the Brunei capital.

Soon after Azrinaz's marriage to the Brunei ruler she was conferred the royal titles and became known as Pengiran Isteri Azrinaz Mazhar (Malay: Duli Yang Teramat Mulia Pengiran Isteri Azrinaz Mazhar).

A Brunei Palace announcement said tonight that all her royal titles have been revoked.
She is the second child of Hakim Mazhar Mohd Johar and Fauziah Abdullah Mansoor.

The Brunei ruler married the former TV3 (Malaysia) newscaster Azrinaz Mazhar at a private ceremony attended by family members and close friends at the Istana Brunei in Kuala Lumpur five years ago.

The marriage was a heavily guarded secret and was only leaked very much later to the press by one of the guests, according to a then news report. A royal proclamation was made back in Brunei some days later.

Azrinaz, fondly known as Naz among her TV colleagues, started work as a broadcast journalist with Malaysian television channel TV3 (Malaysia) in 1997.

Azrinaz Mazhar

She won TV3's "Most Promising Journalist" award in 2000 and received the MIIM Alumni Award in 2002.

She quit TV3 just before her marriage, saying that she wanted to "venture into other undertakings".

Soon rumours were afloat both in Kuala Lumpur and in Brunei that Azrinaz, 26, who used to appear on the Buletin Pagi, Berita Terkini and Buletin 1.30 news segments, had married the 58-year-old Sultan.

On 1 June 1 2006 at 12.43am, she gave birth to a prince, Prince 'Abdul Wakeel. The pregnancy itself was also kept secret. A 21-cannon salute was fired at the vicinity of the Istana Nurul Iman to celebrate the birth.

On 28 January 2008 at 4.21pm, she gave birth to a princess, Princess Ameerah Wardatul Bolkiah.

On 16 June 2010 a royal announcement said that the Brunei ruler has divorced Azrinaz and hereby removed all titles that was given to her.

His Majesty's first wife is Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Hajah Saleha and their son, Crown Prince Al Muhtadee Billah Bolkiah, is the heir to the throne of Brunei.

The Brunei ruler took former stewardess Mariam Abdul Aziz as his second wife in October 1981. He divorced Mariam in February 2003.

courtesy of Brudirect News