Hassan II

Hassan II, born Hassan bin Mohammed Al Alaoui on 9 July 1929 in Rabat and died on 23 July 1999, was King of Morocco from 1961 until his death. He was the eldest son of Mohammed V, who led Morocco to independence from French and Spanish rule, and he was educated both in traditional Islamic subjects and at the Royal College in Rabat before studying law at Bordeaux. He took part in the negotiations that led to independence in 1956 and, as crown prince, was named commander-in-chief of the Royal Armed Forces by his father. After taking the throne in 1961 he promulgated the first constitution in 1962, which created a constitutional monarchy while keeping wide executive powers for the king. His early reign saw instability, including the Sand War with Algeria in 1963 and strong domestic opposition.