As the 10th child and fourth son of the sultan, Prince Abdul Mateen is down the line of succession, but his matinee idol looks have earned him more than three million followers on Instagram, providing a modern face to the royal family.
Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah (R) and his son Prince Abdul Mateen pose for photos ahead of the gala dinner at the 48th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Cebu, central Philippines, on May 8, 2026. Photo by AFP
Another younger son, Prince Abdul Malik, was also appointed to the cabinet in the changes announced by the 79-year-old ruler, who has had a number of health issues recently including knee replacement surgery in January and has made fewer public appearances this year.
Last year, he was admitted to hospital due to extreme fatigue during an ASEAN summit in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur.
The sultan's eldest son, Crown Prince Prince Al-Muhtadee Billah, 52, is the next in line to succeed his father, the world's longest-ruling living monarch and once the richest man on the planet due to Brunei's oil and gas riches.
