Mohammed VI of Morocco

At 60 years old, Mohammed VI of Morocco has this physical status:

Mohammed VI, the King of Morocco, was born on August 21, 1963.

He was a member of the Alaouite dynasty and ascended to the throne on July 23, 1999, following the death of his father, King Hassan II.

Early life and education

Mohammed VI was born on August 21, 1963, was the second son and the second child of Hassan II and his partner, Lalla Latifa Hammou. Mohammed, the country's oldest son, became the heir apparent and Crown Prince from birth. His father was keen on receiving a religious and political education from an early age; at the age of four, he began attending the Quranic Academy at the Royal Palace.

Mohammed VI completed his first primary and secondary studies at Collège Royal and obtained his Baccalaureate in 1981 before obtaining a bachelor's degree in law at the Mohammed V University in Agdal in 1985. "The Arab-African Union and the Kingdom of Morocco's International Relations policy were addressed in his study. He has also visited the Imperial College and University of Rabat. He had been elected president of the Pan Arab Games in the first place, and he was sent as Colonel Major of the Royal Moroccan Army on November 26, 1985. He served as the Chief of the Royal Armed Forces' Offices and Services until 1994.

Mohammed VI obtained his first Certificat d'Études Supéries (CES) in political science in 1987, and he received a Diplôme d'Études Approfondies (DEA) in public law in July 1988. He worked in Brussels with Jacques Delors, then-president of the European Commission, in November 1988.

Mohammed VI obtained his PhD in law with distinction from the French University of Nice Sophia Antipolis on "EEC-Maghreb Relations" on October 29, 1993. He was promoted to Major General's military rank on July 12, 1994, and the Royal Moroccan Army's Commander-in-Chief became president of the High Council of Culture and Commander-in-Chief that year.

Mohammed VI "gained a reputation as a playboy during the years he spent waiting in the wings," the New York Times revealed, "showing a fondness for fast cars and nightclubs."

Family and personal life

Mohammed has one brother, Prince Moulay Rachid, and three sisters, Princess Lalla Asma, and Princess Lalla Hasna. "Conflicting reports about whether the new monarch died on Friday night, just hours after his father's death [in 1999]]" was highlighted in the New York Times, "according to a Moroccan custom that a king be married before he ascends the throne." A palace official denied that a marriage took place later.

Salma Bennani's engagement was announced on October 12, 2001. They married in private in Rabat on March 21, 2002, and their wedding was officially celebrated at the Dar al-Makhone in Rabat on 12 and 13 July 2002. On her marriage, Bennani was given the personal name Princess with the title of Her Royal Highness. Crown Prince Moulay Hassan, who was born on May 8, 2003, and Princess Lalla Khadija, who was born on February 28, 2007.

Mohammed's birthday, which is a public holiday in the United States, has been postponed until the death of his aunt in 2014.

According to reports, Mohammed bought a €80 million mansion in Paris from the Saudi royal family in 2020.

Many concerns have been raised regarding King Mohammed VI's health both within and outside Morocco. Following a address marking the 45th anniversary of the Green March, Moroccan online activists reportedly pointed out facial features that might have been misconstrued as a sign of health problems, while others expressed sympathy and prayers.

Mohammed VI underwent successful surgery at the Quinze-Vingts National Ophthalmology Hospital in Paris in 2017 to remove a pterygium in his left eye. In February 2018, he underwent radiofrequency ablation, also in Paris, to normalize an irregular heart rhythm, and royal family members paid a visit. With his son Crown Prince Moulay Hassan representing him at former French President Jacques Chirac's funeral, the King was advised to rest for several days to recover from acute viral pneumonia. He underwent surgery in Rabat in June 2020 to fix a recurrence of atrial flutter.

Mohammed VI was positive for COVID-19 in June 2022. His personal doctor said he did not have symptoms and suggested "rest for a few days," while Jeune Afrique announced he had contracted the disease in France, where he had previously arrived for a private visit. He made his first public appearance since his COVID-19 return on July 10th, celebrating Eid al-Adha rituals and prayers.

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