Tuanku Bainun

Raja Permaisuri Tuanku Bainun (Jawi: راج ڤرمايسوري توانکو بعينون; née Bainun binti Mohd Ali; born 7 November 1932) is the former Raja Permaisuri (Queen consort) of Malaysian state of Perak. She was also the ninth Raja Permaisuri Agong (Queen consort) of Malaysia, the first commoner to be installed as Queen consort. She is the widow of Sultan Azlan Shah and the mother of the incumbent Sultan Nazrin Shah. She is now styled as Yang Maha Mulia Raja Permaisuri Tuanku Bainun. Background Tuanku Bainun was born on 7 November 1932 in Penang, the Straits Settlements and received her early education at the St. George's Girls School, Penang. She was selected to further her studies at the prestigious Teacher's Training College, Kirkby, England from 1952 to 1954. A year after returning from England, she married Sultan Azlan Muhibbuddin Shah ibni Almarhum Sultan Yussuff Izzuddin Shah Ghafarullahu-lah of Perak on 9 December 1955. The Sultan was then a Magistrate in Kuala Lumpur, while Tuanku Bainun was teaching at her former school. She was a teacher for 22 years and has taught in various schools in Kuala Lumpur, Seremban, Raub, Taiping and Kuantan. Queen consort Upon her husband's accession to the Perak throne on 3 February 1984, she became Raja Permaisuri of Perak with the title of Tuanku. In Perak, Queens of royal blood are known as Raja Perempuan, while the title of Raja Permaisuri was reserved for commoner consorts. Her Royal Highness was officially proclaimed the Raja Permaisuri Perak Darul Ridzuan on 9 December 1985 in a historic ceremony at Istana Iskandariah in Kuala Kangsar.