Siti Hartinah was born in Surakarta (known colloquially as Solo), Central Java, in 1923.

[3] Her father was a Wedana, an official in the Mankunegara court and held the noble title Kanjeng Pangeran Haryå (KPH).

Her mother was a descendant of Mangkunegara III and held the title Kanjeng Raden Ayu (K.R.Ay).

[2] At that time, Suharto held the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Indonesian Army where he was stationed in Yogyakarta.

[2] A ceremony known as nontoni (a meeting for a young man to formally propose to a woman) was arranged.

[9] Nonetheless, Siti Hartinah’s parents appeared to have no objections and consented to have Suharto as their son-in-law.

The evening’s reception was lit only by candlelight, as the city was on blackout alert in the event the Dutch would resume air raids.

Another, their fifth child (and third son), was born when he was leading the Mandala Command for the Liberation of West Irian.

[12] When Suharto was first inaugurated as president, the couple decided not to make Merdeka Palace their private residence.

She was interred in Astana Giribangun mausoleum complex in Karanganyar Regency, Central Java.