Prince Azim of Brunei

Early life

Azim was born in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei. He was the eldest child of the Sultan of Brunei, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, and Pengiran Isteri Mariam. He was one of twelve siblings. He was educated at International School Brunei, Rosyth Primary School (Singapore), Raffles Institution (Singapore) and Oxford Brookes University (Oxford, United Kingdom). Upon graduation in 2008, he announced his intent to found an international program to further the study of the Islamic civilisation. In 2008, he was sent to attend the nine-month officer training course at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. He left after one week, the shortest stint of any member of the world's royal families.

Philanthropy

Prince Azim was the guest of honour at the "Seeing is Believing" fundraiser to raise awareness on caring for the blind, held in Brunei on 6 November 2009.

In 2009, he designed unisex weekend bags for MCM. The proceeds went to the Make A Wish Foundation UK, a charity in which he is one of the patrons.

In May 2011, at a charity show in Brunei Darussalam, held at the Empire Hotel and Country Club's Indera Samudra Hall at which 31 persons with autism performed, Prince Azim said that those with autism should be treated with respect, "as would to any of your family members". On 27 April 2013 at the opening of the 2nd ASEAN Autism Network (AAN) Congress, he urged that appropriate support be given to families with autistic family members, saying: "We want to make our communities more IWA (Individuals With Autism) friendly, whether in terms of spreading a better understanding of the needs of these special individuals or in looking at ways in which we can integrate them better into society and give them brighter futures". The aim of the congress was to provide a platform for networking, as well as to form support groups, for families within the ASEAN region who have autistic family members.

On 8 March 2012, Prince Azim attended a seminar to mark International Women's Day in Brunei Darussalam. The seminar aimed to raise awareness on domestic violence, child abuse and other issues affecting women in the nation. He attended Brunei's International Women's Day celebration again in 2013, with a seminar focusing on empowering women.

Celebrity status

Prince Azim was known for throwing lavish parties with guest lists that have included Michael Jackson, Diana Ross and Scarlett Johansson. His birthday party in 2009 was dubbed the "Party of the Year". The guest list included Janet Jackson, Mariah Carey, Sophia Loren, Joan Collins and Faye Dunaway. His 25th birthday party in 2007 took place in a castle outside London. Breaking Bad star Aaron Paul was a guest of a guest in attendance that year and he told of chasing a large herd of sheep with Prince Azim and princesses Azemah and Fadzilah, riding a hovercraft around the castle and subsequently breaking it, and later having a conversation with Michael Jackson that ended in the two of them doing shots.

Honours

See also List of honours of the Bruneian Royal Family by country

National honours