The crown prince of Morocco, Moulay Hassanfollows the steps that his father shows him, Mohamed VI. This Friday he turned 23 years old. Still at university, his public presence and his preparation to assume the reins of the country are advancing. His appearances assuming the role of protagonist have increased. Something that combines with the role of accompanying and being the shadow of the king in the events marked on the Moroccan agenda and in his speeches.
With a serious face and without deviating one millimeter from the strict protocol, Moulay Hassan inaugurated the tower that bears his father’s name a few weeks ago. A building that stands 250 meters on the bank of the river that separates the city from Rabat and Salé. One of the spearheads on which the Moroccan power wants to present its country as one of the most developed and advanced on the continent. The prince is also part of this image.
Beyond great infrastructure and economic growth, Morocco It continues to pose significant challenges, according to various indicators and international organizations. Especially in offering employment and opportunities for the youngest: those who share the same age as Moulay Hassan. Many have gone through university, but find themselves with few options to find a job according to their training. Also in ensuring that the same development of large cities reaches rural areas, improving the health system or counteracting the increase in the cost of living. Topics to which Mohamed VI has made reference to in some of his speeches.
Moulay Hassan, behind Macron, during the state dinner organized in honor of the French president on October 29, 2024. / LUDOVIC MARIN / AFP
Among many other acts, the prince was in charge of giving the starting signal for the African Cup held last December in the country. He went out onto the grass, under the rain that was falling that night in Rabat, to take the honor kick-off. Perhaps one of the most crowded events with the most spectators in which it has appeared. During the Moroccan matches, he was seen in the stadium, in one of the boxes, wearing a shirt of his team, with some friends and family and without the corset of the formal events.
As usual, the prince’s appearances are broadcast in extensive television reports and are on the front page of most newspapers. Moroccans are becoming more and more accustomed to his presence, while his father’s appearances have been reduced, in part, due to his health statusof which few details are known. The king combines long trips abroad with his life in Rabat.
Increasingly familiar with the Army
The prince’s representation role added, last week, one more responsibility. Mohamed VI appointed him coordinator of the offices and services of the General Staff of the Royal Armed Forces. A position that, beyond the symbolic (his father already assumed it when he was still a prince), involves direct contact with the highest echelons of the army and familiarization and monitoring of active files. It is also a clear message in order to shore up the succession. Last year he was promoted to coronel mayor and participates in military events dressed in his khaki green uniform.
The preparation of the prince, as is usual in all monarchies, is taken care of in detail, as is his image. He was born four years after the death of his grandfather, Hassan IIwith whom he shares a name, and from the moment his father assumed the throne. His mother, Lalla Salmato whom the prince is closely linked, is originally from Fez and an engineer by training. She was not someone who was part of palace circles until she married the monarch. Today, Mohamed VI and Lalla Salma are separated and she has practically disappeared from public life.
Moulay Hassan (third from the left) poses with Kings Felipe and Letizia and the rest of the members of the Moroccan royal family during the visit of the Spanish kings in February 2019. / HOUSE OF THE KING / EFE
Between the official agenda and the university
Although father and son passed through the same classrooms at the Royal College, where the royal family studies and where they forged what would later be their closest environment, their childhoods had little to do with each other. Mohamed VI grew up in a country that did not enjoy the same stability. He lived through the Sahara War and the two coup attempts against his father, during what was known as years of lead.
Currently, the young prince is pursuing a doctorate in international relations and geostrategic sciences, at one of the most important universities in the country; built in a short time on the outskirts of Rabat, so that he could study near the capital. According to the Moroccan press, he speaks English, español and French, as well as Arabic, although so far he has not been heard speaking or giving speeches; It is still his father’s responsibility to address the country.
From the offices of the Moroccan palace, an attempt is made to exploit the image of a young prince, a member of the generation Z. From time to time, photos or videos of him driving through the streets of the capital appear on social networks, although very little is known about his life, his tastes or the activities he does in parallel to his institutional agenda. Despite being one of the most popular figures, he remains largely unknown. No one dares to glimpse what kind of king he will be the day he assumes the throne, nor are any details known that would help give an idea.
Subscribe to continue reading
