Queen Azizah of Malaysia reveals she underwent 16 rounds of IVF to father her five children – and would ‘go home crying’ after the treatments
- Mother-of-five Quen Azizah previously underwent multiple rounds of IVF receive
- The Malaysian king married King Abdullah in 1986 and struggled to conceive
- Queen Azizah established a foundation in 2004 to help women fund fertility treatments
- Opened up about the emotional drain of strenuous fertility treatments
Queen Azizah of Malaysia has spoken openly about the emotional toll the grueling fertility treatment has had on her after undergoing 17 IVF treatments.
The 61-year-old queen struggled to conceive after marrying King Abdullah of Malaysia in 1986 and underwent several rounds of fertility treatment before finally conceiving.
She was reportedly pregnant with a boy for the first time in 1990, but the child is believed to have died shortly after birth.
Their eldest son, HRH Prince Regent of Pahang Hassanal, 26, was born in 1995 when Queen Azizah was in her early 30s.
The mother went on to have five more children and says she understands the “emotional struggle” women go through when faced with fertility issues.
The Queen, who set up the Tunku Azizah Fertility Foundation in 2004 to fund fertility treatments, told the Telegraph she would “go home and cry” after the procedure.
Queen Azizah of Malaysia underwent 16 rounds of IVF after marrying King Abdullah of Malaysia in 1986
Queen Azizah of Malaysia had four sons and two daughters pictured with King Abdullah of Malaysia, the Pahang royal family
“I had 16 rounds of IVF and on the 17th I was successful. I never thought I would have five more, including twins.”
“My foundation sponsors treatment for low- and middle-income couples,” she said, “I know how much it costs and the emotional struggles people go through. You go to treatment and come home crying.
Born a royal princess in Malaysia’s southern region of Johor, Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah is the third daughter of the late Sultan Iskandar of Johor and his British wife Josephine Ruby Trevorrow.
Originally from Cornwall, Josephine converted to Islam and married Sultan Iskandar in 1956, changing her name to Khalsom binti Abdullah.
His Majesty was installed as King in 2019, a position he will hold until 2024. The King and Queen of Malaysia are pictured during a meeting at the Presidential Palace in Bogor, Indonesia in 2019
Tunku Azizah was educated at a girls’ boarding school in Malaysia before studying Political Science and Sociology at the National University of Singapore.
She married Al-Sultan Abdullah in Sultan Abu Bakar State Mosque in 1986 and they have four sons and two daughters together.
There are nine royal households in Malaysia, each ruling in turn. His Majesty was installed as King in 2019, a position he will hold until 2024.
The previous king, Sultan Muhammad V of Kelantan State, resigned after just two years from a brief marriage to a former Miss Moscow, Oksana Voevodina.
All of the couple’s children were educated in England and attended prestigious public schools such as Harrow and Sherborne and universities in London including Oxford Brookes and Royal Holloway.
The Malaysian Royals take part in the Sovereign’s Parade at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in 2019
“I just want them all to work, be exposed to real life and know what it’s like for other people,” Queen Azizah told the publication.
Alongside her foundation and various patronages, Queen Azizah has written three cookbooks packed with traditional Malaysian recipes, which she sources from around the country.
The King will soon be visiting the UK for London Craft Week, which will host an exhibition at the High Commission showcasing traditional Royal Pahang Silk Weave.
The 300-year-old craft of silk weaving originated in Pahang and Queen Azizah has been instrumental in reviving the dying craft over the past two decades.
The showcase, which runs Monday 9th to Sunday 15th May, features a traditional floor loom and a selection of Queen Azizah’s own garments and pieces from her private collection.