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Prince Haji ‘Abdul ‘Azim has died at 38. Fourth-in-line to succeed to the throne of Brunei, he was the second born prince of Sultan of Brunei Hassanal Bolkiah and wife Mariam Aziz.
He was one of Brunei’s most famous princes, along with his little brother, Mateen of Brunei who, at 29 years old, is an influencer and an elite athlete. Prince Azim trained in the UK at Leighton Park School and Oxford Brookes University. Although he began his military training, he did not finish because his interests were in film. Cinema was one of his great passions and in 2014, he produced the film ‘You Are Not You’, which tells the story of woman’s fight against Lou Gehrig’s disease. He also produced ‘Dark Place’, a mystery film starring Charlize Theron .
News of the death was reported by Brunei’s state broadcaster Radio Television in an official announcement:
“Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah’s son Prince Haji ‘Abdul ‘Azim passed away on 17th of Rabi ul Awal (October 24, 2020) at 10:08 am local time. The funeral will take place during Asr prayers this evening,” the announcement, made in Brunei Malay, said.
The Prince was fourth-in-line to succeed to the throne of Brunei. He has eleven siblings. His father has ruled the nation for 53 years. The Sultan of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah, 74, is the monarch who has been on the throne for the longest time following only Queen Elizabeth II of England. His mother is the second wife of the Sultan, a stewardess of the Royal Brunei Airlines line who became a princess when she married in 1981. They divorced after 22 years of marriage and four children together, Azim being the eldest.
Brunei is in a seven-day mourning period — a tiny nation on the island of Borneo. The nation is surrounded by Malaysia and the South China Sea. It’s known for its beaches and biodiverse rainforest, much of it protected within reserves.