Tengku Afzan

Tengku Hajjah Afzan binti Tengku Panglima Perang Muhammad was the former Tengku Ampuan or Queen of Pahang. She also served as Raja Permaisuri Agong of Malaysia between 26 April 1979 and 25 April 1984.

Early life

Born on 4 December 1935 in Kuala Terengganu, she is the fourth child of HRH Tengku Muhammad ibni Almarhum Sultan Ahmad Al-Mu’adzam Shah and HRH Tengku Hajah Mandak binti Tengku Mustafa, and the granddaughter of HRH Almarhum Sultan Ahmad Shah, the first Sultan of Pahang.

Her father, the son of Sultan Ahmad of Pahang, served as Chief Minister of Terengganu before returning to Pahang to hold the same post.

Tengku Hajah Afzan received her early education at the Malay Girls’ School in Pekan. She also received private tuition in English.

Marriage and Becoming Queen

On 22 April 1955, at the age of 20, she married Ahmad Shah, Crown Prince of Pahang, at Kuala Lipis and became the Tengku Ampuan of Pahang. She gave birth to seven children, two boys and five girls, and they are Meriam, Muhaini, Aishah, Tengku Abdullah, Crown Prince of Pahang, Abdul Rahman, Fatimah and Shahariah.

In 1974, when Ahmad Shah ascended to the throne of Pahang, she became his queen consort (Tengku Ampuan). She was Raja Permaisuri Agong of Malaysia (queen consort of the elected leader) between 1979 and 1984.

Death

Tengku Afzan died of cancer on 29 June 1988. She was laid to rest at the Pahang Royal Mausoleum near Abu Bakar Royal Mosque in Pekan, Pahang.

Honours

She has been awarded :

Honours of Pahang

• Member 1st class of the Family Order of the Crown of Indra of Pahang (DK I, 6 May 1975)
• Grand Knight of the Order of Sultan Ahmad Shah of Pahang (SSAP)
• Grand Knight of the Order of the Crown of Pahang (SIMP, 29 May 1972)

National and Sultanal Honour

•  Malaysia (as wife of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, 29 March 1979 – 25 April 1984) :
  • Recipient of the Order of the Crown of the Realm (DMN, 29 May 1979)

Foreign Honour

•  Romania : First Class of the Order Tudor Vladimirescu (25 November 1982)

• The Royal Ark, Pahang genealogical details, p.10