Meet ‘Sporty Princess’ Fadzilah of Brunei – or ‘Fad’ to the national netball team – the daughter of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah who just kicked off her 10-day wedding celebration
Unlike her siblings (her late brother Prince Azim is a familiar name among Hollywood’s elite and her hunky heartthrob younger brother Prince Mateen is Instagram-famous for obvious reasons), Princess Fadzilah Lubabul Bolkiah – or, simply, Princess Fadzilah – is rather private and seems to keep to herself.
Here’s what we know about the royal, who is the daughter of Brunei’s Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah from his second marriage, and who is getting married this month in a 10-day ceremony that kicked off on January 16.
Princess Fadzilah hails from one of the world’s wealthiest royal families – if not the wealthiest
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She has an MBA and finished school abroad
In 2008, at age 22, Princess Fadzilah earned her degree in international studies from Kingston University. On the school website, the princess is quoted saying how much she enjoyed her time in school and that she was contemplating postgraduate studies.
In 2015, the princess earned her master’s degree in business administration from the Hult International Business School, according to a Brunei News Gazette report. The Sultan and Princess Fadzilah’s siblings attended the ceremony held at the Kongresszentrum in Davos, Switzerland, to express their support.
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She loves sports and captains Brunei’s netball team
She’s been called the “sporty princess”, has been an active polo player and equestrian, and is the captain of Brunei’s national netball team. On Channel News Asia, the princess revealed that her teammates call her “Fad” and referred to herself as the prankster of the team. She also shared how her teammates initially reacted to her security team until they became used to it.
She is truly passionate about the sport and, in a speech, generously praised the efforts of her teammates and coaches at the SEA games in 2020. She also talked about her dreams for netball to continue to soar in Brunei, and her hopes for supporting and producing more highly-skilled athletes and qualified coaches.
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She has a “heart of gold” and supports charitable causes
Muslim lifestyle website Aquila Style noted the princess’ charitable efforts and her “heart of gold”. She has supported the inauguration of the Rimba Health Centre to help promote and improve health care in Brunei and often participates in marathons and charity polo matches.
Her wedding this month is a 10-day ceremony
The princess is set to marry Abdullah Nabil Mahmoud Al-Hashimi in a royal wedding ceremony that spans 10 days, from January 16 to 25. According to Malaysian website Hype, the rites began on the first day with a royal ceremony, followed by an opening ceremony the next day, and other highlights will follow, such as a day dedicated to the royal wedding reception, the royal banquet and the closing ceremony.
- Her late brother Prince Azim had Hollywood friends while her younger brother Prince Mateen is an Instagram influencer – but Fadzilah prefers to keep a low profile
- The ‘sporty princess’ with ‘a heart of gold’ is the daughter of the Sultan of Brunei, the longest-reigning monarch after Queen Elizabeth with a US$28 billion estimated net worth