The absence of King Mohamed VI on the public scene, aggravated in recent weeks by rumors about his state of health, has reopened speculation about the direction of the Moroccan monarchy. The 62-year-old monarch has been alternating his residence for some time between Morocco, Paris and different international destinations, while his son, Prince Mulay Hassan, intermittently assumes an institutional role.
In conversation with Rafa Latorre, Ignacio Cembrero—a reference in the analysis of the Arab world—sheds light on what is known and what is unknown about the future heir.
Two months outside Morocco
Cembrero remembers that Mohamed VI has prolonged his absences in recent years. According to him, “this time it was two months and two weeks: from November 5 to January 18”, a period in which the monarch would have passed through Paris, Abu Dhabi, Cairo and Zanzibar, where he has a residence acquired years ago.
Although the Moroccan Royal House released a medical report referring to a lumbar ailment, Cembrero clarifies that “the king is not in good health,” and adds that this ailment would not have prevented him from being present at the final of the African Cup, held in Rabat on January 18. The monarch returned to the country that same day, “with the intention of receiving the team if they won”, but Morocco’s defeat meant that the protocol fell to his brother, Prince Mulay Rashid.
The unknown heir to the throne
Rafa Latorre raised the central question: who really is the young heir Muley Hassan, called to succeed Hassan III? Cembrero responds cautiously: “We don’t know much. In fact, we know less than we knew about your father in his day.”
At 22 years old, the prince has not yet finished his university studies and lives with his mother and sister. “He is very attached to his mother, with whom he has a much better relationship than with his father,” explains the journalist.
His role in public events has been discreet: he has presided over some Africa Cup matches and accompanied his mother in institutional appearances, although he has been absent at key moments, such as the reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral or visits to the areas affected by the Atlas earthquake in 2023.
Cembrero points out that “his father has not given him much scope” and that Moroccans have barely seen Mulay Hassan as their own political reference.
A succession without abdication in sight
Asked about the possibility of a resignation or abdication in case of physical deterioration, Cembrero is categorical: “In the Alawite dynasty there has never been an abdication, and this will not be the first.” The journalist acknowledges that the monarch is in a delicate state, but that he “continues to preside over some councils of ministers” and gives “very few” speeches.
The long stays outside the country and the growing role of the heir fuel the feeling that the transfer of power could come without prior planning.
The influence of Lalla Salma
Cembrero highlights a key point: the role of the heir’s mother. “Prince Moulay Hassan has a very close relationship with his mother, Lalla Salma, and that means that the day he becomes king, she will have a great influence on him,” he says. The princess, an engineer and polyglot, is seen as a modern figure within the context of Moroccan royalty.
However, this female role will not be well received by everyone: “This will not please a good part of the royal family, starting with the king’s sisters, with whom Lalla Salma has a bad relationship,” warns Cembrero, recalling that the tension between both parties has been recognized even by the country’s press.
