The Sultan of Brunei's sister-in-law, Princess Zariah, has passed away.
The royal, who was married to Prince Mohamed Bolkiah and was Queen Saleha's sister, died on 6 October, the Royal Court revealed on Friday. She leaves behind ten children.
An announcement read: "The Office of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah announced that Anak Isteri Pengiran Anak Zariah binti Al-Marhum Pengiran Anak Haji Mohamed Alam, the wife of Prince Mohamed Bolkiah, passed away on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, at 5.43pm."
A funeral service was held the day after Princess Zariah's death, as is Islamic tradition.
Queen Saleha was joined by the Sultan at the Royal Mausoleum to bid farewell to the beloved royal, pouring ceremonial water known as air asah-asahan over her tomb.
Following a procession to the Mausoleum, a solemn farewell was held with religious rites.
The Sultan has commanded that the national flag, normally flown at full mast, be lowered.
Why did the Sultan strip his daughter-in-law's titles?
The news comes as the House of Bolkiah continues to face controversy after the Sultan stripped his daughter-in-law of her titles in August.
Pengiran Raabi'atul Adawiyyah of Brunei is married to Prince Abdul Malik, who is fourth in line to the Brunei throne.
However, it was announced that Pengiran would no longer be known as a princess following allegations of "unbecoming behaviour" that have "tarnished the monarchy's good name", according to a statement.
© Alamy Stock PhotoTypically, the Brunei royal family is very private, despite Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah's $16 billion fortune making him one of the richest people in the world.
The Office of the Grand Chamberlain confirmed on 7 August that the move had been carried out. A statement said that "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".
The exact reason why the Sultan chose to remove his daughter-in-law's titles is yet to be revealed.
Royals that have been stripped of their titles
Brunei is a tiny nation on the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. It is an absolute monarchy ruled by the sultan, meaning he holds autocratic power over the state, unconstrained by laws or an elected parliament.
However, the stripping of titles has become more commonplace in recent years, particularly in the Scandinavian monarchies. In Denmark, Queen Margrethe controversially stripped Prince Joachim's children of their titles in 2022.
© Getty ImagesIn 2019, King Carl Gustaf XVI of Sweden removed the titles of five of his grandchildren to slim down the monarchy, meaning they are free to pursue their own interests.
Meanwhile, in the UK, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Sarah Ferguson were stripped of their titles following further revelations about their friendship with the convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stepped down as senior members of the royal family in 2020 but have kept their Duke and Duchess of Sussex titles.
