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On Saturday, June 29, Lalla Latifa, the mother of King Mohammed VI and widow of the late King Hassan II, passed away at the age of 78. Born in Khenifra, she hailed from a noble family with a legacy of martyrdom and national heroism.
Her father, Hassan Ould Mouha Ou Hammou Zayani, known as Pasha Hassan Amehzoune, was the governor of the Khenifra region and leader of the Zayane tribes in the Middle Atlas Mountains. His own father, Mouha Ou Hammou Zayani, born in 1863 and passed away in March 1921, was a prominent figure in Amazigh resistance against the French, leading guerrilla warfare to liberate Khenifra.
Long before his granddaughter Lalla Latifa Amahzoune became part of Morocco's royal family, Zayani arranged for his daughter Rabaha to marry Sultan Moulay Abdelhafid, who ruled Morocco from 1908 to 1912.
In 1961, Lalla Latifa married King Hassan II, the same year of his ascension to the throne. During her life, Lalla Latifa gave birth to five children: King Mohammed VI, Princesses Lalla Meryem, Lalla Asma, Lalla Hasna, and Prince Moulay Rachid. She maintained a discreet presence and did not make public appearances with the royal family.
Leading a discreet royal life
Lalla Latifa adhered strictly to the traditional royal protocols of the Alaouite dynasty. In a 1989 interview with the French broadcaster INA, King Hassan II addressed these protocols when asked why the «Queen of Morocco» was not publicly known. He humorously replied:
«For the simple reason that ever since Morocco has existed, there has never been a queen».
«All our marriages have been morganatic», explained King Hassan II, referring to marriages of the Alaouite sultans. «I think all the dynasties that have succeeded each other have made a very wise choice», he estimated. «On the other hand, when I have the opportunity to present the Mother of Princes and Princesses, who has no political activity (…) I present her normally because I think she's well brought up, she's very presentable, but she's not a queen».
Even after King Hassan II's death in 1999, Lalla Latifa remained discreet and made no public appearances. In 2000, she remarried Mohamed Mediouri, former chief of the personal security and senior bodyguard of King Hassan II. She later resided in Neuilly-sur-Seine, a suburb of Paris, before returning to Morocco and settling in Marrakech in 2019.
In 2018, King Mohammed VI honored Lalla Latifa by inaugurating the «Mosque of Princess Lalla Latifa» in Hay Essalam, Salé. Built according to the highest authentic Moroccan architectural standards, the mosque features separate prayer halls for men and women, a Quranic school, accommodations for the Imam and the Muezzin, and commercial spaces. Its design seamlessly blends authenticity with modernity, incorporating energy-efficient principles.
With a capacity of over 1,800 worshipers, the mosque was constructed by the Ministry of Habous and Islamic Affairs on a 1,200 m2 plot, with a budget of 11 million dirhams.
