Queen Raja Zarith Sofiah is the first and
only wife of Malaysia's new King Ibrahim. They have been together for more than 40 years
and have faced many challenges in their life's journey. Her subjects consider her a perfect
queen who has dedicated her life to the people and her family. But why were their parents
against their marriage? How did she manage to remain the king's only wife when he could
have more than one? And what other exhausting events occurred during that hard year when
she learned of her son's terrible diagnosis?
Watch the video to the end to
find out! Let's get started!
Raja Zarith Sofiah is of high birth, so she has
always been able to count on a carefree life. She was born in 1959 into the royal family of the
Sultan of Perak, which is part of Malaysia. Her father, Idris Shah the Second, was a wealthy
landowner known for his amorous ways. He had eight wives who bore him 14 children. Sofiah
was the third child. Her father loved her dearly and did everything for her happiness.
The princess received an excellent education. After completing primary school in the capital of
the Sultanate of Perak, she was sent to England to study. She received her secondary education
at Cheltenham College for Women. Later, the girl entered Oxford University, where
she received a Master of Arts degree in Chinese Studies. She is considered to be the most
educated queen in all the states of Malaysia.
In England, Zarith Sofiah realized that women
were capable of pursuing the sciences, the arts, and even government on an equal footing with
men. This profoundly changed her worldview.
Prince Ibrahim of the Kingdom of Johor met such
a free and educated, yet noble and conservative girl at one of the social gatherings.
Ibrahim was the crown prince at the time and had received military training in his
homeland and then in the United States.
He was only a year older than Zarith
Sofiah, so they quickly found a common language. After a short time, the young
people realized that they were made for each other. They asked their parents for their
blessing to marry and... they were denied!
Nowadays, many people disagree with this
development and believe that it was an ordinary dynastic marriage. However,
a number of researchers on the life of the Johor royal dynasty claim that their
parents were initially against the marriage.
This is because the Johor royal family
had some stains on its reputation at that time. Ibrahim and his father, Sultan Iskandar,
were accused of some pretty serious crimes.
Sultan Iskandar was charged with manslaughter
for shooting a man outside his private helicopter after mistaking him for a smuggler. And his eldest
son, Ibrahim, was convicted of shooting a man in a nightclub during a brawl. They took advantage
of royal immunity and were pardoned.
The chief judge in these cases was
Zarith Sofiah's uncle, Raja Azlan Shah, who later succeeded her father
on the Perak throne. Of course, these unpleasant events may have affected the
relationship between the two ruling families.
The love story of Ibrahim and Zarith Sofiah
was like that of Romeo and Juliet. However, the couple proved that their union would only
benefit the kingdoms of Perak and Johor. After much negotiation, they received the blessings
of the ruling families to marry in 1982.
The wedding was held in both kingdoms and
no expense was spared. The older generation of Malaysians still remembers
these luxurious celebrations.
Parades of festively decorated cars moved through
the streets of Kuala Kangsar, the capital of the Sultanate of Perak. Sweets were distributed to
everyone, and a record-sized cake was ordered for members of the royal family. It was so large
that it was transported on the roof of a car!
The celebration attracted guests from all over
Southeast Asia and royalty. A series of stamps and even decorative plates featuring the newlyweds
were issued to commemorate the wedding. Modern collectors are willing to pay a lot of money
for these relics, but they are rarely sold.
After her marriage, Zarith Sofiah continued her
studies in Oxford. Incredible events awaited her, which made her stronger and aroused
the love and respect of the nation.
The royal couple had six children - 5 sons
and a beautiful daughter. All of them received first-class education and made brilliant
careers in management, business or sports.
The Queen enjoys attending the races
of her younger sons, Abdul Rahman and Abu Bakr. The boys became famous car racers
and won several international competitions, representing their home state of Johor.
Unfortunately, Zarith Sofiah's life was not without tragedy. The biggest one involved a
fourth child named Abdul Jalil. A brilliant yachtsman and special forces soldier, he was
diagnosed with liver cancer at the age of 24.
Raja Zarith Sofiah had been a
frequent visitor to hospice patients, elderly women and children with cancer since
the 1990s. But that didn't prepare her for the news of her son's devastating diagnosis.
"No one had any idea he had cancer," the queen recalls. "He just started having pain
in his right shoulder, and everyone thought he had pulled a muscle. When the pain became
unbearable, the prince went to the doctors and this terrible disease was discovered".
The queen was with her son through all of his chemotherapy sessions, supporting him and hiding
her tears and pain from him. The woman who spoke words of comfort to mothers in the oncology
ward now needed words of encouragement herself.
Jalil's illness was not the only thing
on Raja Zarith Sofiah's mind. There were so many events that year that took all of her
energy. The wedding of her eldest son Ismail, the move to a new palace and the coronation that
made her Queen of Johor. She also had other public duties, as a Sultan's wife should.
In between all these important events, Abdul Jalil underwent a liver transplant in the
best Chinese clinic. His parents did everything they could to save him. But no amount of money
could restore their son's health. In 2015, the prince passed away, leaving a
deep wound in his mother's heart.
The Queen wrote a touching letter to her son
on Facebook. Here are a few lines from it: "I have a thousand and one memories of you in
your last days in this world. I remember one day you closed your eyes and tears ran down your
cheeks as you struggled with pain. And I held your left hand and cried, trying not to make
a sound. I thought you couldn't see me crying because your eyes were closed. But you knew, and
you put your right hand on mine and patted it as if to say, "Don't cry, Mom, I'm all right."
However, instead of falling into deep mourning and depression, the royal family decided to honor the
memory of their son by helping people suffering from cancer. An ultra-modern cancer center was
built in the capital of the sultanate, the city of Johor Baru, and its foundation is chaired by Raja
Zarith Sofiah. Every year, 7 thousand Malaysians are treated there. This action shows the
active and optimistic character of Zarith Sofiah and her husband, Sultan Ibrahim.
In January 2024, Zarith Sofiah became Queen of all of Malaysia, including the state
of Johor. Her husband Sultan Ibrahim was elected first among equals by the Council
of Monarchs of Malaysia to lead the state.
The coronation took place on January 31, 2024. For
Zarith Sofiah, it was both a happy and a sad day. It was exactly 40 years ago that her father,
Sultan Idris Shah the Second, died. And now, four decades later, his daughter has
become the queen of all Malaysia.
Zarith Sofiah has always actively assisted her
husband in the administration of the Sultanate of Johor. She is involved in scientific and social
activities as well as fine arts. She inherited her love for art from her father. Her paintings have
been exhibited in many prestigious exhibitions.
With a perfect command of five languages,
the queen wrote several scientific works on linguistics and four children's books.
Zarith Sofiah earned special love from her subjects through her charity work. She helped
tens of thousands of her countrymen affected by the terrible floods. For these and other good
deeds, her subjects began to call her the "Queen of Hearts". By her own admission, this means more
to her than all her official titles combined.
The queen inherited her passion for philanthropy
from her parents. In an interview she said: "I watched my parents prepare for events
at orphanages and hospitals. I saw them interacting with people and helping them,
and I wanted to continue doing that".
And yet, the main mission of her life is to serve
her family and help her husband. Queen Sofiah and King Ibrahim carried their love carefully through
life. The queen selflessly helped her husband in all his affairs, and he, in turn, loved only
her. This is evidenced by the simple fact that Ibrahim never thought of taking a second
wife, even though Islamic customs allow it.
Let's wish this wonderful couple
more success and endless love!
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