Tuanku Bainun
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The first commoner to be installed as Raja Permaisuri Agong or Queen of Malaysia, the former Bainun binti Mohamad Ali was born in Penang in 1932.
Educated in England, she became a teacher before marrying Sultan Azlan Muhibbudin Shah ibni Almarhum Sultan Yusuff Izzudin Shah Ghafarullahu-lahu of Perak in 1955. Upon his accession to the Perak throne in 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.
She became Raja Permaisuri Agong in 1989. Perhaps incidentally, she was crowned on a new throne made of silver that replaced the ancient wooden throne used by Malaysia's eight previous Queens of royal blood.