Queen Azizah of Malaysia Reveals She Underwent 16 Rounds of IVF Before Becoming Pregnant
MOHD RASFAN/AFP via Getty King Abdullah and Queen Azizah
Queen Azizah of Malaysia's journey to motherhood has inspired her to help others.
After marrying King Abdullah of Malaysia in 1986, Queen Azizah underwent many rounds of IVF before becoming pregnant with her eldest son in 1995.
"I had 16 rounds of IVF, and on the 17th I succeeded," she told The Telegraph. "I never thought I'd go on to have five more [children], including twins."
She went on to set up the Tunku Azizah Fertility Foundation to help fund fertility treatments in 2004.
"My foundation sponsors treatment for poor and middle-income couples," she said. "I know how much it costs, and the emotional struggle people go through. You go for a treatment and you come home and cry."
Queen Azizah, 61, continued, "We are Asian and we don't share our problems. But I decided it was time we started talking about it, and doing something about it."
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Carl Court/Getty King Abdullah and Queen Azizah
Queen Azizah's husband, King Abdullah, was installed as king in 2019, a position he will hold until 2024 due to Malaysia's system of rotating monarchs every five years.
The royal explained, "There are nine royal households in Malaysia. We take it in turns, for five years each. So now I have to observe protocol, but when I was just a crown princess, I'd go everywhere, to conferences, to see the Girl Guides, to the UN, with just one guy to accompany me."
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Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty King Abdullah and Queen Azizah
The couple has four sons and two daughters, all of whom attended prestigious schools in England.
"One wants to be an accountant, one wants to join the police," she said. "I just want them all to work, to be exposed to real life, to know what it's like for other people."
Their oldest son, 26-year-old Prince Regent of Pahang Hassanal, attended Sandhurst, the same Royal Military College where Prince Harry had his training to be an Officer Cadet.
According to his mom, Prince Regent of Pahang Hassanal is passionate about conservation — just like Prince Harry and Prince William.
"He's very 'Save the tigers.' He loves the jungle," she said.
