THE INDEPENDENT: The Sultan of Brunei "can do no wrong in either his personal or any official capacity," according to the oil-rich country's constitution. But perhaps not all the time.
Brunei's palace announced yesterday that Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah has divorced his wife, Azrinaz Mazhar Hakim, after five years of marriage. State television and radio last night carried the announcement that the 63-year-old sultan had divorced Azrinaz, 30, a former Malaysian television news journalist, and that all of her royal titles had been revoked.
It marked the end of a marriage that began with a private wedding ceremony which contrasted starkly with previous lavish royal events paid for with the vast wealth accrued by the tiny nation. Michael Jackson had been flown in to perform for the sultan's 50th birthday, while a week of celebrations for the marriage of his eldest daughter included a concert by Stevie Wonder.
The sultan, the heir to an unbroken 600-year Muslim dynasty, is one of the world's richest royals with a private fortune estimated to total at least $20bn (£13.5bn).
His wife had given birth to the sultan's 11th child, a baby boy, less than a year after their wedding and a daughter in 2008 but rumours of a marriage break-up had been circulating for some time in Brunei. >>> Paul Peachey | Thursday, June 17, 2010
