Moulay El Hassan: a prince of his time
- Style and personality
- Moulay El Hassan's student life
- Public appearances
- Like father, like son
- The prince's hobbies
- New generation of kings and queens
Born on 8 May 2003, Moulay El Hassan is the son of King Mohammed VI and Lalla Salma. He is the Crown Prince of Morocco and has only one younger sister, Lalla Khadija, who was born on 28 February 2007.
Descended from the grandson of the Prophet Mohammed, Prince Moulay El-Hassan is set to become the 24th ruler of the Alawite monarchy. His name as King when he comes to the throne will be Hassan III, following his grandfather Hassan II, who died in 1999.
In a monarchy that has been in existence for four and a half centuries, Moulay El Hassan has to follow a path of apprenticeship in the profession of the future king and in the monarchical culture with its different traditions and rules.
During last year's Feast of the Throne in Tetouan, the figure of the heir to the throne of the Kingdom of Morocco in the person of Prince Moulay El Hassan was consolidated and supported by the most important political, military, religious, economic and social institutions of the State, who attended very significant events presided over by the future King of Morocco, where they reiterated their loyalty and gratitude to him.
From now on, at 21 years old, Moulay El Hassan could reign without the assistance of a Council to assist him, when his father is absent.
Style and personality
The prince is distinguished by his own style, despite the protocol obligations he must follow. According to political analysts, he is an upright and serious man who inspires confidence. His manner reflects his uprightness of spirit as well as his posture.
After each of his appearances, his every move is scrutinised, attention is paid to the way he behaves, the way he dresses and even his hairstyle. Moulay Hassan always wears a suit with a tie, and sometimes he wears traditional Moroccan clothes; respecting a strict dress code.
Moroccans appreciate him as a modern Moroccan citizen who is strict and straightforward in the conduct of his affairs, whether public or private. The student community speaks of a courteous and very generous prince.
Despite these obvious characteristics, Moulay El Hassan's personality will be defined over time by the rigour with which he manages his daily life.
Moulay El Hassan's student life
Like all new Moroccan baccalaureate graduates, after having obtained his baccalaureate with international option in economics and social sciences with a ‘very good’ grade, Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan enrolled at the Faculty to begin his undergraduate studies.
Along with several hundred students in groups, the future King opted for the Faculty of Governance, Economics and Social Sciences (FGSES) of the Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P).
It should be noted that the best candidates with a ‘Good’ or ‘Very Good’ baccalaureate were selected, taking into account not only the grades obtained, but also the students' profiles, their communication skills, soft skills and analytical skills.
The programme of the chosen degree consists of 38 modules in human and social sciences and languages; based on lectures and workshops on Political Science, Law, Economics and National Accounting, International Relations, Analysis of Contemporary Societies, Constitutional Law and Political Institutions, Political History of Morocco, Strategic Intelligence and Psychology.
Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan is committed to high-level studies in his country and in an environment connected to Moroccan reality. He is also involved in many associative activities, as UM6P represents a platform for experimentation that students describe as a ‘school of life’.
Public appearances
The aim of these public appearances is to initiate and familiarise the Crown Prince with the responsibilities he will have to assume in a society attached to its values and its plural identity.
The prince has begun official or protocol activities from an early age, with the presentation of riding trophies. However, this is not the only form of Moulay El Hassan's public outings; it began at the age of eight, with his first speech at the Kenitra Military Academy.
He was 4 years old when he accompanied King Mohammed VI, who inaugurated the ‘Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan’ boulevard in Oujda.
At the age of 15, the Crown Prince presided, in Meknes, over the opening of SIAM (International Agricultural Fair in Morocco). In 2016, he attended the opening ceremony of COP22 in Marrakech, where he addressed world leaders.
In 2018, he chaired a dinner in Rabat in honour of former French President François Hollande. In the same year, he presented the trophy to the Atlas Lions, winners of the 2018 African Football Championship.
In 2022, he presided over the opening ceremony of the 13ᵉ edition of the El Jadida Horse Show, and very important events. The heir to the throne accompanies the Sovereign in his various official activities such as royal speeches at the national festival, the royal reception of prominent figures among other events where his presence is essential.
Moulay El Hassan is currently omnipresent on the public stage, with a princely agenda that is taken care of by the Royal Cabinet. In recent years, his official appearances, representing his father, King Mohammed VI, have multiplied both in Morocco and abroad.
Like father, like son
Mohammed VI was also 8 years old when he gave his first speech at the Military Academy in Kenitra and 10 years old when, in 1974, he represented Hassan II at the funeral of Georges Pompidou. At the age of 13, the crown prince is already attending some major official events to learn the King's job, like his father at the same age.
Moulay El Hassan is the son of a king who has revolutionised politics in Morocco. The crown prince is aware that he will have to govern a very important, very complex North African Maghreb country that has many difficulties and aspires to achieve great things.
King Mohammed VI is the hope for change, justice and reconciliation, major reforms, mega-projects, human rights, social security and sustainable development, which have already taken their first steps in Moroccan society.
For his part, the Crown Prince, together with a whole generation of young, resilient and creative people are betting and working for a better Morocco, given the remarkable potential and hope that Moulay El Hassan reflects for the future of a Kingdom facing the great geopolitical and environmental challenges of the 21st century.
Moulay El Hassan is a prince with a cool father with whom he shares great complicity. The trajectory that King Mohammed VI is tracing is the seed that has been sown and that the prince must nurture with his touch so that it bears fruit and then continue to build a country that is a world leader in various sectors.
The prince's hobbies
Moulay El Hassan enjoys kite surfing, horse riding and basketball. He is also passionate about football and aviation.
While his sister is a music fan and plays the piano and guitar, the crown prince has a passion for the seventh art and likes to attend cinema or theatre performances in the company of pupils from different high schools in Rabat.
Like his father and grandfather, he is a great lover of cars and owns luxury brands such as Maybach, Aston Martin and Ferrari, given to him by his father.
He also received a private jet, a Gulfstream G650, from his father. It is one of the most expensive and powerful VIP aircraft that can fly 14,000 km non-stop and accommodate eight passengers and four crew.
New generation of kings and queens
Both Morocco and European countries are preparing for a new generation of kings and queens who will ascend their respective thrones in a couple of years, as is the case of:
- Prince Lerotholi Seeiso: born in 2007 in Maseru, a member of the Royal Family of Lesotho and the current heir to the throne.
- Princess Leonor: born in 2005, the future Queen of Spain, the first in the line of succession to the Spanish throne. She is the first-born daughter of King Felipe VI and Letizia Ortiz and has a younger sister, Infanta Sofia.
- Princess Amalia of Orange: born in 2003, she is the heir to the throne of the Netherlands.
- Princess Elisabeth: at the age of 22, she took the oath of allegiance to the Constitution to formalise her path to the Belgian throne.