I had a nice photo of the Sultan showing him with Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (1947- ) President of the Philippines from 2001.  Arroyo has kindly signed the photo for me. After it, I sent the picture to the Ambassador of Hungary in Brunei asking him to help me in this matter. It took more than a year that he could do something for me. Finally he sent the photo back to me with the signature of Hassanal Bolkiah on it.

In his letter, The Ambassador wrote me about the difficulties he met. Here is the translation of one part of his letter:

“…With great pleasure I am returning the common photo of President Arroyo and the Sultan of Brunei – that has already been signed by the Sultan also (…)

I am sure you will not be surprised when I am informing you that the Court of the Sultan found quite incomprehensible my extraordinary initiative which was so strange for them. It was unambiguous that the Brunei monarch never complies with this kind of request. Because the Sultan is an absolute monarch, the official people of the Court had a hard racking their brains to decide which way may they present the request before the Sultan. This summer accidentally I have listened a long interview with you on the radio. After the interview I was able to inform the Court about your hard work in detail, about the greatness of your collection and I said that my personal wish would be to comply with your request.

(…)I hope the Sultan’s signature written by a ball point pen – which is a less visible contrast with President Arroyo’s – will be perfect for you and will help to make your collection complete. I congratulate you from my heart and I do hope your fascinating and unique collection will be in display in more and more places in order to enlarge the knowledge of the public (…)”

I think The Ambassador was a very kind person and I am most grateful to him.

The Sultan’s wives

The Sultan currently has one wife, “The Queen of Brunei”. She is Duli Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Haja Saleha binti Al-Marhum Pengiran Pemancha Pengiran Anak  Haji Mohamed Alam.  (1946- ) She married the Sultan in 1965. The Sultan and Saleha are first cousins and they have two sons and four daughters.  She is the mother of the Crown Prince.

I am happy to receive her signed photo several weeks ago. The envelope itself is also unique, since it has been sealed with 3 red wax stamps... 

His former second wife, Pengiran Isteri Hajah Mariam, was a former stewardess whom he divorced in 2003, after 21 years of marriage.  Mariam would no longer possess a title. Many portraits of the Sultan's former wife, which were hung next to photographs of himself and his first spouse in government and business offices, were removed soon after the royal announcement. No reason was given for the divorce.

She sent me her signed photo in 2001.
 

Dr. Zoltán Márián