Besar Metassan

Pengiran Anak Besar (24 September 1928 – 16 October 2016) was a member of the royal family as the wife of Pengiran Anak Mohammad Alam and the mother of Pengiran Anak Saleha, the queen consort of Hassanal Bolkiah, the 29th Sultan of Brunei.

Duties
Pengiran Anak Besar was present at the royal solemnisation ceremony held on 17 June 2013, at Istana Mahkota, Kubang Kerian, in Kota Bharu, Kelantan, for Tengku Amalin A'Ishah Putri and Prince Abdul Qawi. Additionally, she would also attend several other royal ceremonies and events, such as the Hari Raya Aidilfitri open house at the Bukit Kayangan Hall in 2014 and the wedding of Prince Abdul Malik and Dayangku Raabi'atul Adawiyyah in 2015.

Family
On 24 September 1928, Pengiran Anak Besar was born. Her mother was Pengiran Anak Piut, and her father was Pengiran Anak Haji Metassan bin Pengiran Anak Ismail Apong. Her mother was the great-granddaughter of the late Sultan Hashim Jalilul Alam Aqamaddin. She married Pengiran Pemancha Pengiran Anak Haji Mohamed Alam ibni Pengiran Bandahara Pengiran Anak Abdul Rahman in 1943, and together they had nine children, 37 grandchildren and 26 great-grandchildren. She was active in community and welfare initiatives in Brunei.

Issue
The couple's nine children together are as follows:


 * Pengiran Anak Haji Mohammad Yusof (24 June 1948 – 13 December 2004), married to Princess Nor'ain Bolkiah
 * Pangiran Anak Haji Puteh (born 19 January 1951), ambassador of Brunei to the United States and Japan
 * Pengiran Anak Haji Ja'afar (born 1951), executive chairman of Jati Transport
 * Pengiran Anak Hajah Saleha (born 7 October 1946), married to Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah
 * Pengiran Anak Hajah Zariah (born 3 October), married to Prince Mohamed Bolkiah
 * Pangiran Anak Hajah Rokiah (born 17 July 1950s), married to Pangiran Anak Apong
 * Pengiran Anak Hajah Damit (6 May 1956 – 19 August 2007), married to Pangiran Haji Muhammad Ayub
 * Pengiran Anak Hajah Mastura (6 January 1960 – 26 July 2016), married to Pengiran Haji Yura Perkasa
 * Pengiran Anak Hajah Fatimah (born 9 April 1962)

Death
At the age of 88, Pengiran Anak Besar passed away on 16 October 2016 at Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Saleha Hospital (RIPAS) at 5:45 a.m. Radio Television Brunei (RTB) broke the news of her passing. After then, the remains were brought to her Taman Seri Alam home in Kampong Beribi Gadong before being interred at the Kubah Makam Di Raja on the same day. Members of the royal family, government officials and aristocrats attended her funeral.

Namesakes

 * Jalan Pengiran Babu Raja, a road in Bandar Seri Begawan

Honours
With the consent of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, Pengiran Anak Hajah Besar was granted the title of Pengiran Babu Raja (Queen Mother). She also received the following awards;
 * BRU Family Order of Brunei 1st Class.svg Family Order of Laila Utama (DK) – Dato Laila Utama
 * BRU Order of Merit of Brunei.svg Order of Paduka Seri Laila Jasa Second Class (DSLJ) – Datin Seri Laila Jasa
 * Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah Medal.gif Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah Medal (PHBS)