Move over Prince Harry, hello Tengku Hassanal Ibrahim Alam Shah: meet the Malaysian king’s dashing millennial son – a military-trained, outspoken environmentalist prince
Prince William and Prince Harry might have been off the market for quite a while now, but there’s no shortage of eligible bachelor royals out there. Malaysia’s Tengku Hassanal Ibrahim Alam Shah might just top our list, with many fans claiming that he is the definition of humble and down to earth.
So just what do we love about him so?
He spent his childhood studying in Europe
Like many royals around the world, Shah was sent abroad to complete his education and learn how to stand on his own two feet. Born on September 17, 1995, he was not the only one among his siblings to study halfway across the world. As a matter of fact, he told the Malaysian National News Agency, Bernama, that his father “sent all of us to study in England not to show off, but rather to make us independent”.
The young prince spent his earlier years learning at the UK’s Caldicott Preparatory School and Sherborne School. He then earned his bachelor’s degree in international relations at Switzerland’s Geneva School of Diplomacy and International Relations.
He attended the same military academy as Prince William and Prince Harry
Despite his royal status, Shah reportedly kept a low profile during his 44-week training and reportedly went only by the name “Shah” to avoid drawing attention to himself.
As the commander-in-chief of the Malaysian Armed Forces, Al-Sultan Abdullah personally conferred the rank of second lieutenant to Shah in 2020.
He is an environmentalist and a philanthropist
The Star reported that Shah even donated several months’ of his royal allowance to Pahang’s Covid-19 relief fund and the Pahang4Palestine fund launched by the Malaysian government.
He currently serves as the Regent of Pahang
Although Shah studied abroad, he still spent his school holidays back in his home country, often accompanying his father to official functions in Pahang. Fast forward to the present and he now shoulders the responsibility of looking after the third-biggest state in Malaysia. “I am happy to serve the people,” he once said in an interview with New Straits Times.
He enjoys sports
It’s not all work and no play for this prince. When he’s not on duty as the king of Malaysia’s son and the regent of Pahang, Shah spends his downtime on sports. His Instagram feed shows photos and videos of him going running, playing football and sepak takraw (kick volleyball), and competing in polo tournaments.
- Like Prince William, Shah attended the UK’s Royal Military Academy Sandhurst – after graduating from the Geneva School of Diplomacy and International Relations
- The regent of Pahang has also donated to Covid-19 relief efforts and posts plenty of polo, sepak takraw and other sporty photos to Instagram