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Revision as of 06:32, 28 September 2005 by 200.80.55.195 (talk) (→See also)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)His Majesty King Hassan II (July 9, 1929-July 23, 1999) was King of Morocco from 1961 to his death. He was the eldest son of Mohammed V, Sultan, then King of Morocco and his wife Lalla Abla bint Tahar (a.k.a Um Sidi), whom he married in 1926.
King Hassan was educated at the Imperial College at Rabat and earned a law degree from the University of Bordeaux.
He was exiled to Corsica by French authorities on 20 August 1953, along with his father Sultan Mohammed V. They were transferred to Madagascar in January 1954. Prince Moulay Hassan acted as his father's political advisor during the exile. Mohammed V and his family returned from exile on 16 November 1955.
King Hassan participated with his father in the February 1956 negotiations for Moroccan independence.
King Hassan was appointed Chief of Staff of the Royal Armed Forces in April 1956 by his father. In the unrest of 1956, he led army contingents battling Berbers in the mountains of the Rif. Mohammed V changed the title of the Moroccan sovereign from Sultan to King in 1957. Hassan was proclaimed Crown Prince on 19 July 1957, and became King on 3 March 1961, after his father's death.
His conservative rule strengthened the Alaouite Dynasty. During his reign, Morocco recovered (or occupied) Western Sahara in the "Green March" in 1975. (since the subject is a dispute pendent of the United Nations). Also, Morocco saw the beginnings of directly-elected parliamentary government in the kingdom. (See Politics of Morocco)
He established a parliamentary democracy, but after the parliament became ineffectual, he dissolved it and ruled directly. King Hassan survived two assassination attempts. In 1972, during a second attempted at a coup d'etat, the Royal Moroccan Air Force mistakenly fired upon the King's plane while he was traveling back to Rabat, but did not bring it down.
His Majesty King Hassan II served as a bridge between the Arab world and Israel, facilitating early negotiations between them. At his death in 1999, there was mourning throughout the world for a monarch who had played a pivotal role in Middle East affairs over the previous four decades.
Family
King Hassan II had five children with his wife Lalla Latifa Hammou, who he married in 1961.
- HRH Princess Lalla Meryem
- HM King Mohammed VI
- HRH Princess Lalla Asma
- HRH Princess Lalla Hasna
- HRH Prince Moulay Rachid
See also
On 10 June 1974, Prince Richard's father died and he succeeded to the titles Duke of Gloucester, Earl of Ulster and Baron Culloden.
Both the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester make many public appearances and are popular members of the royal family. The Duke is particularly interested in architecture and conservation. He became a corporate member of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) in 1972; and serves as a commissioner of the Historic Building and Monuments Commission for England (English Heritage).
A keen motorist, Prince Richard is president of the Institute of Advanced Motorists. This post became a matter of review when, on 23 December 2004, he was banned from driving for six months and fined for speeding, it being his fourth similar offence in three years.
The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester's official residence is at Kensington Palace in London. They have leased Barnwell Manor since 1994. On 29 October 2004, the Duke's mother, Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester, died at the age of 102, the longest-living member of the British Royal Family ever.
References and links
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