Tunku Soraya binti Almarhum Sultan Abdul Halim Mu’adzam Shah ( Jawi: تونكو ثريا بنت المرحوم سلطان عبدالحليم معظم شاه; born Tunku Soraya binti Tengku Abdul Aziz; born 30 April 1960) is the ''Raja Puan Muda'' (Deputy Crown Princess) of Perak as the wife of

Raja Iskandar Dzurkarnain Raja Iskandar Dzurkarnain ibni Almarhum Sultan Idris A’fifullah Shah ( Jawi: راج إسكندر ذوالقرنين ابن المرحوم سلطان إدريس عفيف الله شاه; born 8 February 1955) is a member of the Perak Royal F ...

, the ''Raja Di-Hilir'' (Deputy Crown Prince) of Perak. She and her twin sister were adopted by her maternal uncle Sultan Abdul Halim and his consort

Sultanah Bahiyah Sultanah Hajah Bahiyah binti Almarhum Tuanku Abdul Rahman (; 24 August 1930 – 26 August 2003) was the Sultanah of Malaysian State of Kedah from 1958 until her death in 2003 and served as the fifth Raja Permaisuri Agong of Malaysia from 21 ...

of Kedah as their daughter on 3 May 1960.

Biography

Tunku Soraya was born on 30 April 1960 in

Alor Setar Alor Setar ( Kedah Malay: ) is the state capital of Kedah, Malaysia. It is the second-largest city in the state after Sungai Petani and one of the most-important cities on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia. It is home to the third-tallest ...

Kedah Kedah (), also known by its honorific Darul Aman (Islam), Aman (دار الأمان; Arabic for 'The Safe Abode') and historically as Queda, is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia, located in the northwestern part of ...

. She is the biological daughter of Tunku Hamidah, daughter of

Sultan Badlishah of Kedah Sultan Sir Badlishah ibni Almarhum Sultan Abdul Hamid Halim Shah ( Jawi: ; 17 March 1894 – 13 July 1958) was the 27th Sultan of Kedah and reigned from 1943 to 1958. He ascended to the throne upon the death of his father, Sultan Abdul Hami ...

and her husband Tengku Abdul Aziz, son of Sultan Sulaiman Badrul Alam Shah of Terengganu. She has a twin sister, the late Tunku Sarina binti Tengku Abdul Aziz who was married to Tunku Abdul Karim bin Tunku Ziauddin al-Haj. Tunku Sarina died in 1991 and was buried at the

Langgar Royal Mausoleum Kedah Royal Mausoleum or Langgar Royal Mausoleum () is a royal burial ground in the Kedah state of Malaysia. It is located in Langgar, in Kota Setar District. List of graves Sultan graves * Sultan Haji Sir Abdullah Muadzam Shah ibni Alma ...

. On her biological father's side, she is a cousin of the 29th and current Sultan of Kedah, Sultan Sallehuddin, whilst on her adoptive father's side, she is also related to him as a niece. On 3 May 1960, Sultan Abdul Halim and his wife

adopted both their then three-day old newborn twin nieces, Tunku Soraya and Tunku Sarina as their daughters whilst awaiting the birth of their own child. Six years later in 1966, the royal couple welcomed their only biological daughter, Tunku Puteri Intan Safinaz.

Education

Tunku Soraya received her early education at both St Nicholas Convent, Alor Star and at Bukit Nenas Convent, Kuala Lumpur and later continued her studies at

Brighton Polytechnic The University of Brighton is a public university based in Brighton on the south coast of England. Its roots can be traced back to 1858 when the Brighton School of Art was opened in the Royal Pavilion. It achieved university status in 1992. Th ...

, Brighton,

Sussex Sussex (Help:IPA/English, /ˈsʌsɪks/; from the Old English ''Sūþseaxe''; lit. 'South Saxons'; 'Sussex') is an area within South East England that was historically a kingdom of Sussex, kingdom and, later, a Historic counties of England, ...

, England.

Personal life

Tunku Soraya married

, the son of Sultan Idris Al-Mutawakil Alallahi Shah of Perak and Raja Perempuan Muzwin, on 24 August 1986. They have three sons and two daughters.

Styles and honours

* 50px Member 2nd Class of the Azlanii Royal Family Order (DKA II) * 50px Commander of the

Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia The Most Esteemed Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia () is a Malaysian federal award presented for meritorious service to the country and awarded by the sovereign. The order was instituted on 15 April 1966 and gazetted on 30 June 1966 ...

(PSM) Tan Sri (20 October 2016) * Grand Commander of the

Order of Loyalty to Sultan Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah The Illustrious Order of Loyalty to Sultan 'Abdu'l Halim Mu'azzam Shah (Bahasa Melayu: ''Darjah Yang Mulia Sri Setia Sultan 'Abdu'l Halim Mu'azzam Shah'') is an honorific order of the Kedah Sultanate, Sultanate of Kedah. History It was founded ...

(SHMS) Dato' Seri Diraja (2008) * Knight Grand Companion of the

Order of Loyalty to the Royal House of Kedah The Illustrious Order of Loyalty to the Royal House of Kedah (Bahasa Melayu: ''Darjah Yang Mulia Setia di-Raja'') is an honorific order of the Sultanate of Kedah. History It was founded by Sultan Abdul Halim of Kedah on 21 September 1973. Cl ...

(SSDK) Dato' Seri (1986)

External links

References

, - {{S-end Royal House of Perak Adoptees Royal House of Kedah Living people 1960 births Alumni of the University of Brighton Malaysian people of Malay descent Commanders of the Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia Daughters of sultans of Kedah