Raja Nazhatul Shima was born on 20 February 1952 as the eighth of the fourteen children of Sultan Idris Al-Mutawakil Alallahi Shah of Perak and Raja Perempuan Muzwin. She is the elder sister of
Raja Iskandar Dzurkarnain, the Raja Di-Hilir of Perak and
Raja Jamil Ariffin as well as of
Raja Zarith Sofiah, the Permaisuri (queen consort) of Johor and the current Raja Permaisuri Agong (Queen) of Malaysia. Raja Nazhatul Shima received her early education at school from 1958 to 1962. She attended the Teluk Intan Girls' School and Teluk Intan Convent School. On 22 October 1963, her father was installed as the 33rd
Sultan of Perak, following which her family moved to
Istana Iskandariah, Bukit Chandan,
Kuala Kangsar,
Perak and she continued studying at the Government English School in Kuala Kangsar. She excelled in her studies to the extent that she was qualified to continue her studies at
Kolej Tunku Kurshiah in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan. In 1968, she continued her studies at Upper Chine School, Shanklin, Isle of Wight until sixth form. She then took a Basic Course in art at Hornsey College of Art and continued her studies in Interior Architecture at Chelsea College of Art, London until she successfully obtained the L.C.A Diploma (London Certificate in Art And Design) and became a Member of the Society of Industry Artist and Designer (S.I.A.D). ==Marriage==