The monarch of Morocco is Mohammed VI. On July 23, 1999, he succeeded to the throne following the passing of his father, King Hassan II. He received both political and religious instruction from a young age; at the age of four, he went with his father on a state visit to the United States and attended Qur’anic school at the palace. Following his education at Collège Royal, he pursued a legal education at Mohammed V University in Agdal. He eventually graduated with a PhD from Université Nice Sophia Antipolis in France. He never stopped performing his official obligations. Being an enthusiastic athlete, he took part in various sporting activities. He started a series of changes after ascending to the throne of Morocco, beginning with the reworking of the family code. Later on, he also contributed to the adoption of a new constitution that increased the parliament’s authority at his expense. In addition, he is a seasoned businessman.
Early Life & Childhood
In Rabat, Morocco, on August 21, 1963, King Mohammed VI was born. The Alaouite family derives its name from their claim to be descended from Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib, the son-in-law of Prophet Muhammad. According to the allegation, they are also descended from the Prophet via Fāṭimah az-Zahrah, Ali’s wife, and his daughter.
One of the worst monarchs in Morocco’s history was his father, King Hassan II. He ruled the nation with an iron grip for around 40 years, ruthlessly putting down dissenters and prioritizing stability over human rights.
Lalla Latifa Amahzoune, his mother, was his father’s second marriage. Following her husband’s passing, she moved to France and wed Mohamed Mediouri, the head of his personal security. She is known as “the mother of the royal children” in Morocco, where it is illegal to print her images without her consent.
Mohammed was the second of his parents’ five children and the oldest of their two sons at birth. Princess Lalla Meryem is the older of his siblings by one year. His younger siblings include Prince Moulay Rachid, his brother, and two sisters, Princess Lalla Asma and Princess Lalla Hasna.
Mohammed was proclaimed the Crown Prince at birth and designated the Heir Apparent, the firstborn son of a reigning king. He was quickly prepared for the role, starting at the age of four to attend the Qur’anic school at the Royal Palace.
He started receiving political instruction at the same time as he was attending the Qur’anic school. He went to the United States with his father in February 1967 as part of an official visit.
He attended Collège Royal for his elementary and senior schooling. Inside the royal palace, the school accepts other students and opens a class for each senior member of the royal family. He received literary instruction in both Arabic and French.
He received his certificate on June 28, 1973, marking the end of his primary education. He transferred to the secondary school that same year, and the Collège Royal officially welcomed the Class of 1973. Princess Meryem studied alongside them as well until the class designated for females was created.
He was nevertheless exposed to state obligations in addition to his academics. He spoke on behalf of his father at the Notre Dame de Paris religious service in 1974 in honor of President Georges Pompidou. He was dispatched to many African nations on official trips in 1980.
After completing his secondary education with success in 1981, he enrolled at Mohammed V University at Agdal to pursue a legal education. In parallel, he carried out his official responsibilities by being named Chairman of the IX Mediterranean Games Organizing Committee, which took place in Casablanca in 1982.
He led the Moroccan delegation to the 7th Non-Aligned Countries Summit in New Delhi on March 10, 1983. He attended the 10th Franco-African conference in Vittel on October 3 and the Committee for Implementation of the A.O.U. concerning the Sahara in Addis-Abeba on September 21.
His thesis, “The Arabo-African Union and the Kingdom’s strategy in international relations,” was accepted for his bachelor’s degree in 1985. He was named President of the Pan Arab Games that year, which took place in Morocco from August 24 to August 8.
He was appointed as the Royal Armed Forces’ Coordinator of Offices and Services of the General Military Staff on November 26, 1985, after receiving his rank as a Colonel Major. He held this position until 1994.
Crown Prince Mohammed received a Diplôme d’Études Approfondies (DEA) in public law in July 1988 after earning his first Certificat d’Études Supérieures (CES) in political science in 1987. He relocated to Brussels later in November to receive legal instruction from Jacques Delors, the European Commission’s president at the time.
Université Nice Sophia Antipolis, France awarded him a PhD in law on October 29, 1993, based on his thesis, “Cooperation between the European Economic Community and the Arab Maghreb Union.” After that, he started to focus more on his state obligations and assumed an increasing amount of responsibility.
Following Academic Completion
He chaired the inaugural session of the GATT Ministerial Meeting, which took place in Marrakech, Morocco, on April 12, 1994. He later attended the advisory group meeting on May 4, 1994, which was held to commemorate the UN’s 50th anniversary.
He chaired the seminar’s last session in April 1996 on “Relations between Morocco and Europe.” He opened the Macro-American Council Office of Commerce in New York on December 10, 1996.
In addition to carrying out his royal obligations, the Crown Prince developed a keen interest in commerce, eventually rising to prominence as a prominent banker and businessman. He would later rise to prominence in Morocco as a landowner and major agricultural producer.
Morocco’s King Life
The Crown Prince assumed the throne as His Majesty King Mohammed Ben Al Hassan Ben Mohammed, Amir Al Mouminine, on July 23, 1999, following the death of King Hassan II. The Throne Room served as the venue for the BEIA (allegiance) ritual.
The day of his coronation was July 30, 1999. Following that, Morocco’s King Mohammed VI spoke to the people via television, pledging to end poverty and advance human rights. The day eventually gained the moniker “The Feast of the Throne.”
He began acting quickly after taking office, declaring on March 5, 2001, the creation of a commission to modify the Mudawana, or family code. He also ordered that 10% of the lower chamber of parliament’s seats be designated for women at some point.
He continued to pursue his interest in business while performing his royal obligations, founding a new holding company named “SIGER” in 2002. He owns it all, but Mounir Majidi, his personal secretary since 2000, is in charge of its management.
He brought a plan to replace the old Mudawana to the Parliament on October 10, 2003, stressing that the new laws dealt with matters pertaining to the family as a whole. Its goal was to uphold men’s dignity and to protect children in addition to releasing women from injustice.
After lengthy deliberation in parliament, the new family code underwent over a hundred revisions. January 2004 saw its ratification at last. While the world community applauded it, several Islamic groups in the country denounced it as a set of externally imposed ideals.
The King established the Equity and Reconciliation Commission, or Instance Equité et Réconciliation – IER, on January 7, 2004, in a step that was unprecedented. Investigating the human rights violations that occurred between 1956 and 1999 and compensating the victims were its two main goals.
By December 2005, IER had concluded its investigation, resolving 4677 instances and compensating 3,657 victims. The report was published in part in January 2006. The King talked about the need to learn from the past and conveyed his regret for the violations of human rights that occurred under his father’s rule.
In keeping with the custom of royal pardons, he pardoned a great deal of guilty inmates on national holidays while serving as King of Morocco. He pardoned 10,000 prisoners in 2005. The figure rose to 24,865 in 2009.
Morocco’s Transition to Democracy
The Moroccan pro-democracy movement started to gain traction by 2011. Thousands of demonstrators gathered in Rabat on February 20, 2011, screaming “Down with autocracy” and “The people want to change the constitution” as they demanded that the King cede some of his powers. Other cities organized similar protests.
When King Mohammed realized the circumstances, he made the decision to act responsibly. He gave the country his word that the court would be given more independence and that the parliament would be given “new powers that enable it to discharge its representative, legislative, and regulatory mission” in a speech on March 9, 2011.
He appointed a group of legal experts to design a constitution, and they were instructed to turn it in by June 2011. Despite this, the demonstrations persisted until the spring of 2012, and many influential people declined to take part in the commission’s work.
The King announced a number of constitutional changes on June 17, 2011, and a referendum on those changes was held on July 1. Despite the opposition leaders’ demand for a boycott, a record 70% of people showed up, and the new constitution ultimately passed with 95% of the vote.
The King is no longer considered “sacred or holy” in accordance with the revised constitution. The “integrity of his person” is still “inviolable,” nonetheless. Furthermore, he must now designate the prime minister from the party that has secured the majority of seats in the legislature.
In the past, the King had the authority to name people to important administrative and diplomatic positions. The Prime Minister and his council of ministers were now granted authority.
Part of the King’s rights were preserved under the new constitution. It provides the King absolute authority over the courts, the armed forces, and questions of foreign affairs and religion. In addition, he is in charge of the ministerial council and can choose and remove prime ministers.
In a broadcast speech on July 30, 2011, the King insisted that the constitutional amendments ought to be put into effect right away. As a result, on August 1, 2011, the new constitution came into force. Additionally, the 2012 parliamentary election was moved up to November 25, 2011.
In keeping with the custom of pardoning prisoners, the King released 48 Spanish prisoners from prison in 2013. Among them was a pedophile who was serving a 30-year term for the rape of eleven children ranging in age from four to fifteen. When demonstrations started, he revoked the pardon.
Honors & Accomplishments
Mohammed VI was the recipient of numerous international honors. Distinguished Knight of the Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour of France, Collar of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic, and Collar of the Order of Civil Merit of Spain are a few examples.
Mohammed VI was awarded an honorary doctorate by George Washington University on June 22, 2000. He has also won additional honors, including the Helen Keller Award from the U.S. Foundation, the Trophy of the International Association against Violence in Sport, and the Medal of High Merit from the South-American Football Confederation.
Individual Life and Heritage
Mohammed wed Salma Bennani, a computer engineer, in Rabat on March 21, 2002. She was given the titles of Princess and Her Royal Highness following her marriage. Crown Prince Moulay Hassan and Princess Lalla Khadija are their two children.
The first Moroccan king’s spouse to receive both public recognition and a royal title is Lalla Salma. She hasn’t been sighted in public since 2017, therefore it’s unknown where she is. Rumor has it that the couple is no longer together. However, no proof has surfaced.
Net worth of Mohammed VI of Morocco
The estimated net worth of Mohammed VI of Morocco is about $5 million.