Morocco’s Mini-Monarch

Hassan at Food Stall number 3 in Jemaa el Fna Square in Marrakech serving up bowls of snails. April 22, 2013. Photo by Trisha Thomas

Every evening Hassan Aghandor serves up steaming bowls of snails at Food Stall Number 3 in Marrakech’s Jemaa el Fna Square while carrying on a steady stream of conversation with a crowd seated around him on stools.  Last  March, he explained to me, on the birthday of the Prophet Mohammed,  he had some unexpected guests.

Crown Prince Moulay Hassan

The Crown Prince Moulay Hassan came for snails.  “He sat right there on that corner stool where you are,” Hassan recounted, pointing at me with his big scooping spoon.  “Yes, he is a nice boy, a kind boy.”  Hassan realized he was getting an audience as he told his story to me in French. Several Moroccans leaned in closer, “He came with his mother the Queen, and his sister and their Uncle.   The Queen is very beautiful.”

“What do you expect,” Abdul a taxi driver piped up, “Kings always marry beautiful women, but she is also good.”

“Everybody here loves the King and his family” said another man enjoying his bowl of snails.

“And they paid me twenty times more than the bowls were worth, and a tip too!!” Hassan guffawed.

Later when I told this story to Cherif, the concierge at the Kenzi Menara Hotel, he told me that people had gathered around the stall and applauded when they saw the Little Prince eating snails like any Moroccan boy.  But he is not just any Moroccan boy, he is the future King.

Crown Prince Moulay Hassan is 9 years-old and is already preparing to become King. He joins his father on many of his appointments, dressed in a suit and tie or traditional Moroccan dress.  He recently shocked French journalists when he walked down the red carpet behind his father and President Francois Hollande, on a visit to Rabat in April.  He was dressed in a suit and a red tie just like his father and apparently carried out his role with aplomb.

Crown Prince Moulay Hassan walks behind his father King Mohammed VI and President Francois Hollande on red carpet. April 14, 2013. Photo from newspaper article

The Crown Prince got used to being in the public eye at an early age.  According to reports I found in the Moroccan press, when Moulay Hassan was just two years old the city of Fes celebrated for three days for his circumcision ceremony.  The town was reportedly festooned with flags, flowers and lanterns.  King Mohammed VI rode through the crowds on a white, pure-bred stallion carrying his son to the mosque for the ceremony.

A few stalls down from Hassan’s snails, Said is running his orange and grapefruit juice stand at Food Stall Number 14.  One glass of fresh-squeezed orange juice costs 40 cents.  Perched amidst the piles of oranges is a photo of little Crown Prince Moulay Hassan, once again in a tie.

Juice stand at Jemaa el Fna Square in Marrakech. Photo by Trisha Thomas, April 22, 2013

Morocco is a constitutional monarchy and according to many Moroccans I spoke to, from taxi drivers to an official from the Finance Ministry, the open-minded policies of the 49-year-old King Mohammed VI has allowed for democratic reforms in Morocco without going through the tumultuous upheavals of the Arab Spring witnessed in Egypt and Tunisia. The King was encouraged to do this by a group known as the “February 20th Movement” that led protests demanding change.  Moroccans say their King implemented many liberalizing policies including allowing for freedom of speech, freedom to protest and giving rights to women.  He also put some constitutional limitations on his own powers.

Princess Lalla Salma of Morocco. Photo from her blog. Credit: www.Lalla-Salma.blogspot.it

Moroccans are also proud of the King’s wife, Lalla Salma Bennani, a glamorous 34-year-old woman with long red curls who one official told me has a degree in computer engineering.  She appears without any head-covering and has started a cancer prevention society.  She has her own blog and Facebook page, although it is not clear if she is directly involved or not. The last Queen was not allowed to be seen and had no official title.

“He looks just like his grandfather, Hassan II” a certain Mustapha told me with satisfaction when I asked him about the Little Prince.  From the photos, I think he looks like his mother.

According to official accounts, the Moroccan dynasty descends directly from the Prophet Mohammed to Moulay Rashid, the first Sultan of Morocco, his son Mohammed V was the first King of Morocco, followed by Hassan II (who died in 1999) and was replaced by his son, the current King Mohammed VI.  Some of the photos displayed around the city show the direct lineage.

Crown Prince Moulay Hassan in a photo showing his lineage back to the first Sultan of Morocco. Photo by Trisha Thomas, April 22, 2013

The little prince also has a little princess sister, 6-year-old  Lalla Khadija, but she is not in line for the throne.   I found a cute photo of her blowing out the candles on her birthday cake perched between bottles of Argan oil on sale at another stall in the Square.

A photo showing Morocco's Royal Family perched between bottles of Argan oil at a stand in Jemaa el Fna Square in Marrakech. Photo by Trisha Thomas. April 23, 2013.

Perhaps Lalla Khadija is not in line for the throne, but you never know, I am sure she is a clever little girl and maybe she can convince her brother to change the rules of dynastic inheritance when he comes to power.

Princess Lalla Khadija of Morocco

One final note — I went to Morocco as a tourist, not as a journalist, so the above post is written as such.  If I had gone there as a journalist, I would have tried to get interviews with government officials, opposition leaders, political analysts, Moroccan journalists, people involved in non-governmental organizations, and human rights groups and presumably would have a much more complete and accurate picture of the political situation and the role of the monarchy in Morocco.  The above post is a tourist’s visual and written snapshot/postcard about a little boy who will some day become King.

16 thoughts on “Morocco’s Mini-Monarch”

  1. How fascinating! I know little of Morocco, so I appreciate the enlightenment. It certainly seems like the Prince is being well groomed and tutored for his role in life, and Morocco sounds like a very tourist friendly place – always good to know. I hope you tried the Argan oil. It does wonders for the skin and hair. Perhaps that is the secret to the Princess’ glorious mane! I am off to check out the Princess’ site.

    1. Trisha Thomas

      Hi Adri — I did try out the Argan oil. You know me, after all the mess I made with that Dior Eye-wrinkle cream, I am ready to try anything. I bought a small bottle in the souk, and one evening after a swim in the hotel pool, and before a formal conference dinner, I used the oil as an after-shower lotion, and I also put some on my hair since there was not any conditioner at the hotel. It worked great on my skin, but unfortunately, it made my hair look like I had just poured a bottle of oil on it. So, I spent the elegant conference dinner looking like a complete grease-head. The next morning I washed my hair again to get it out, and my hair was quite soft and nice. So, my advice is, if anyone ever gives you Argan oil, put it on your hair, leave it for a bit and shampoo it out.

  2. What a fine postcard! So interesting to see these kids, who are already imbibing aspects of who they will become in their prime. The tranquility of the place is a treasure in our uneasy world. I must admit, snails are not something I want to eat. And why do they wait till age 2 to circumcise the boys?
    Do you know what rights were granted to women? That will be key. I just heard Nicolas Kristoff (NY TImes, author of Half the Sky) speak, calling this century’s main issue the rights of women around the world, and naming forms of oppression that are common in the non-western world. So good for the king of Morrocco, if he has begun to make real change.

    1. Trisha Thomas

      Hi Nancy — So many good questions. I am not sure what rights were granted to women, I read something about “social and political equality” but that is not very clear. I saw a lot of women in Morocco that were completely covered, including a mother with children at my hotel with a full-body, including hood, bathing suit. But I also saw plenty of women who did not cover their heads, hair, arms and legs. The Queen does not use any head-scarf. As far as the circumcision ceremony is concerned, I think that is an Islamic tradition to do it at that age. I remember living in Kenya and hearing about Masai circumcision ceremonies which took place when the men were teenagers and was an elaborate ceremony which took them from boys to warriors. I think it was very painful but it was a test of their courage.
      Lucky you to hear Nicolas Kristoff speak. I am a huge fan. He has done so much for young women forced into prostitution in Cambodia. I saw so much of that when I was in the Philippines, and it is terrible. And Kristoff is right, the rights of women around the world is a main issue for this century.

  3. I’ve always wondered how you (and other travelers) can just strike up conversations with the locals? How do you even BEGIN the conversation? My friend and I were talking about this – the power of small-talks – and how there is so much to learn and discover during our travels if we had been courageous enough to approach the locals. I think it’s a valuable skill to have whether you’re a journalist or not :)

    P.s. that bowl of snails sound delicious…especially now that it’s lunch time! Yum!

    1. Trisha Thomas

      Well, I am definitely the queen of small-talk, it comes naturally to me, I can strike up a conversation with anyone. Yes, it is part of my job, but I think I was like that from when I was very young. But I must say the Moroccans were so friendly they were often the ones striking up the conversation.

  4. . . as one who would sweep away privilege, your story is a reminder that some should be ‘swept’ much more gently than others.

    1. Trisha Thomas

      Well, I did get the impression that Mohammed VI is a gentle monarch (I am not sure about his forebears), but in general I am not a big supporter of monarchies either. I do find them fascinating though.

  5. Barbara Landi

    So glad to know King Hassan is so enlightened. I cannot help wondering where the little prince got those big elephant ears tho…unless his lovely mother Lalla has hers hidden under her read curls. The little princess has normal ears….LOL
    My apologies for being so shallow…LOL. Barack Obama ostensibly inherited his stick-out ears from his mother too.

    1. Trisha Thomas

      Barbara — you crack me up! You are totally right– that kid has big flopping elephant ears, and yes perhaps he did get them from his mother who hides hers under those gorgeous red curls. Still, he is better off with his mother’s looks and big ears than his father’s looks. His father doesn’t win any prizes in the looks department. And I hope he is growing up to be enlightened. He his named after his grandfather who apparently used a pretty heavy hand with dissenters. But doesn’t that little sister look so cute and clever. And, since you mentioned it, I just went to google images to check out the ears on Ann Dunham, Obama’s mother — and you are right! Obama got his elephant ears from his Mamma!

  6. What an interesting insight into the country’s ruler and his family – through the eyes of the obviously very satisfied shopkeepers, taxi drivers and local folk. Brava to you for seeking out their conversation. That’s the best way to be a tourist, I think. Talk to the locals.
    I have been to Morocco once but it was decades ago and rulers (and many other things) have changed. It’s heartening to know that the current ruler has liberalized many of the country’s policies. What a difference from the turmoil of Egypt and other Arab countries in the region. I am wondering about the princess with that mane of tumbling red curls. Is she from Morocco originally? I am off to check her blog. And the little prince seems to be so courteous and obedient. I wonder if he throws little temper tantrums like other kids his age in the U.S.? PS – When I was younger, I used to give my hair olive oil treatments. I suppose the argan oil has the same effect, but yes, you MUST rinse it all out with another shampooing.

    1. Trisha Thomas

      Hi Linda — yes, it was nice to see the people I spoke to so pleased with their country and government. I think Morocco is making progress in the right direction. (But as I pointed out at the end of the blog, I was not doing a real job as a journalist, just scratching the surface as a tourist– you know the difference since you are a journalist too).
      I am sure the Little Prince throws temper tantrums. I am learning with my own kids that children around the globe have so many things in common.
      Interesting that you mention doing olive oil treatments on your hair. At the beginning of the blog post I mentioned one of my favorite films, “The English Patient” – there is a lovely scene in that film where the nurse — played by Juliette Binoche, suggest to the Sikh bomb defuser that he should try olive oil on his long hair. I guess when I finish the Argan oil I brought back with me, I should start using olive oil. Thanks as always for your interesting comments.

  7. Well, I had to come back and let you know that today I walked to our annual street fair here in Princeton, N.J. called “Communiversity” and what do I see but a table set up with hair products called “Moroccan Oil” – everything from shampoo and conditioner to stuff you put in after the shower. I asked the sales guy what was in it and he says – yes, you guessed it — argan oil. He boasted of its properties and after reading your post a while ago, I figured I had to try some. I’ll let you know if it makes a difference.

    1. Trisha Thomas

      Wow, Argan oil has made it to Princeton, New Jersey. Was it very expensive? I think I paid roughy 5 euros for 3 bottles of it in Marrakech — the Rome hairdresser charges about 30 for a bottle to spray on your hair. Let me know how it works.

  8. It was expensive.
    The Moroccan oil treatment for the hair cost $16.00 for .85 oz./25 ml.
    I bought some travel size shampoo too – 2.4 oz. for $8.00; and conditioner 2.4 oz. for $8.50 – way more than I’ve ever spent on hair products. We shall see how it works.

    1. Trisha Thomas

      Well if you really want to save a lot and have a wonderful time, Argan oil costs a lot less in Marrakech — you will just have to pay for the flight and hotel. Let me know if you think it works.

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