| King ofMorocco | |
|---|---|
| ملك المغرب (Arabic) ⴰⴳⵍⵍⵉⴷ ⵏ ⵍⵎⵖⵔⵉⴱ (Standard Moroccan Tamazight) | |
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| Incumbent | |
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| Mohammed VI since 23 July 1999 | |
| Details | |
| Style | His Majesty |
| Heir apparent | Crown Prince Moulay Hassan |
| First monarch | Al-Rashid ibn Sharif |
| Formation | 1631; 394 years ago (1631) (Alawi dynasty) |
| Residence | Dar al-Makhzen,Rabat |
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Monarchy |
Government |
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 Morocco portal |
Theking of Morocco[a] is themonarch andhead of state ofMorocco. The monarchs of Morocco belong to theAlawi dynasty and have used the designation ofking since 1957.[2] It is the country's most powerful office. The current king of Morocco isMohammed VI (Sidi Mohammed bin Hassan al-Alawi), who ascended the throne on 23 July 1999 following the death of his father,Hassan II.[3]
According to Article 43 of the Constitution, the crown of Morocco passes according toagnatic primogeniture among the descendants of King Mohammed VI – unless the reigning monarch designates a younger son asheir apparent – failing which it devolves to "the closest male in the collateral consanguinity".[4]
The 2011Constitution of Morocco was adopted after the2011 Moroccan constitutional referendum, followinga series of protests where demonstrators demanded more political freedom, as a part of the widerArab Spring movement. The king, in response, appointed a constitutional commission to draft a new constitution, which scaled back some of the king's powers and introduced democratic reforms. It defines the country as aconstitutional monarchy, meaning the monarch exercises his authority in accordance with the constitution and is not the sole decision maker. However, the constitution still grants substantial discretionary powers to the monarch, such as having the final say on major policies and projects.
Similar to other constitutional monarchies, the king is the head of state and is its "supreme representative" and "symbol of the nation's unity", and represents the nation of Morocco inforeign diplomacy.[4] However, the king also has complete control over thearmed forces and thejudiciary, as well as matters pertaining to religion and foreign policy; the king also has the authority to appoint and dismissprime ministers from the largest party elected toparliament.[5][6]
Since 1962, the king is also defined in the constitution asAmir al-Mu'minin ('Commander of the Faithful'), a title which grants him some religious authority.[7] It further conveys a religious basis for the monarchy's legitimacy, predicated in part on thesharifian status of the dynasty and confirming an idea that had already been widely accepted in Morocco prior to this time.[8]
The constitution states that "the person of the King is inviolable, and respect is due to Him".[9] It is a criminal offense in Morocco to undermine the monarchy, including publicly criticizing the king's policy decisions.[10]
Dès le mois d'août 1957, le roi (l'appellation « Sa Majesté impériale le Sultan » a été remplacée le 18 août 1957 par « Sa Majesté le Roi ») avait réclamé l'ouverture de négociations sur les frontières avec l'Algérie, puis revendiqué la Mauritanie.