Hassanal Bolkiah, GCB GCMG (full name: Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu'izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar Ali Saifuddien Sa'adul Khairi Waddien; born 15 July 1946) is the 29th and current Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam and the lands under its sovereignty. He is also the first and incumbent Prime Minister of Brunei Darussalam. The eldest son of the late Sir Muda Omar Ali Saifuddien III (later the Begawan Sultan) and the late Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Damit (later the Suri Seri Begawan Raja), he succeeded to the throne following the voluntary abdication of his father as the 28th Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam on 4 October 1967.

Under Brunei's 1959 constitution, the Sultan is the head of state with full executive authority, including emergency powers since 1962. On 9 March 2006, the Sultan was reported to have amended Brunei's constitution to make himself infallible under Bruneian law. Bolkiah is also the Prime Minister as well as holding the portfolios of Minister of Defence and Finance.

Sultan Bolkiah was the fifth Sultan of Brunei. He ascended the throne of Brunei upon the abdication of his father, Sultan Sulaiman. He ruled Brunei from 1485 to 1524. His reign was known as the Golden Age because Brunei became the superpower of the Malay archipelago. Under Sultan Bolkiah, Brunei prospered further, but he was still unsatisfied with Brunei's progress and ordered all his chiefs and ministers to seek new ideas to develop Brunei further. He frequently travelled abroad to broaden his outlook and increase his knowledge for the development of his country. The new ideas he brought back to Brunei were ordered to be studied in detail and pursued for implementation for the benefit of his people and country.

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Sultan Bolkiah's victory over Sulu and Seludong (modern day Manila), as well as his marriages to Laila Mecanai the daughter of Sulu Sultan Amir Ul-Ombra (an uncle of Sharifa Mahandun married to Nakhoda Angging or Maharaja Anddin of Sulu), and to the daughter of Datu Kemin, widened Brunei's influence in the Philippines. This increased Brunei's wealth as well as extended Islamic teachings in the region. The influence and power of Brunei reached its climax during the reign of Sultan Bolkiah. Known as the "Singing Captain" (Nakhoda Ragam)^{[citation needed]}, his dominion reached faraway Selurong, now known as the city of Manila. Due to overpopulation, he allowed his peoples to venture out of Brunei migrating into North Borneo and to the Sulu (Solook). When visiting the islands, he would plant a speck of pepper into their beaches upon arrival and name some of them, to name a few, as Sitangkay, Siganggang, Simunol, etc. His dominion also reached Bulungan (North Borneo) to Johore (Singapore^[vague]), that Brunei, its ancient name was Bulungan Johore^[vague]. His father-in-law, Sulu Sultan Amir Ul-Ombra (Amir Ul-Umara), also known as the Sultan Bolkiah of Sulu, recovered Bulungan-North Borneo back for him during a Kalimantan revolt in Southern Borneo.

Azrinaz Mazhar binti Hakim Mazhar formerly HRH Pengiran Isteri Azrinaz Mazhar (born 23 September 1979) is the Malaysian-born and previously the third wife of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, the Sultan of Brunei. She is the second child of Hakim Mazhar Mohd Johar and Fauziah Abdullah Mansoor.

Azrinaz, who is fondly known as Naz, started work as a broadcast journalist with Malaysian television channel TV3 (Malaysia) in 1997. She won TV3’s "Most Promising Journalist" award in 2000 and received the MIIM Alumni Award in 2002.

She quit TV3 in May, saying that she wanted to "venture into other undertakings". Soon rumours were afloat 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.

Azrinaz was married to Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei at a private ceremony attended by family members and close friends at the Istana Brunei in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The marriage was a heavily guarded secret and was only leaked very much later to the press by one of the guests. She became the third wife of the king. She was conferred the title HRH Pengiran Isteri Azrinaz Mazhar.