BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, Brunei — Brunei’s Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah has named one of his youngest sons as the country’s foreign minister in a major cabinet reshuffle, largely seen as a move to prepare for the next generation of leaders in the oil-rich kingdom.
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 3 million followers on Instagram, providing a modern face to the royal family.
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.