Great Royal Weddings: King Mohammed VI of Morocco Marries Lalla Salma Bennani, When Morroco's King Mohammed VI married 24-year-old computer engineer Lalla (Lady) Salma Bennani in 2002, he broke royal tradition simply by publicly acknowledging his bride.
For centuries Morocco's monarchs, including the groom's late father, King Hassan, had kept their weddings state secrets and their brides in the deep palace background. Its patriarchal monarchy has never designated queens, and somewhat dismissively referred to its past royal wives as the "mother of" a king's children.
King Mohammed VI signaled change was coming by announcing his engagement in October 2001, an event Al Jazeera reported was a first for a reigning king. So, too, was the release of the bride's name and the stunning photograph of a vibrant woman with cascading red, wavy hair.Bennani, a schoolteacher's daughter, hails from a humble but well-respected family in the spiritual city of Fez.
Royal lore says it was love at first sight when the king met his accomplished princess bride at a 1999 party. Bennani worked for ONA Group, a diverse holding company that represented a substantial percentage of the royal assets. Early on, she reportedly set some ground rules for their courtship, insisting on a monogamous union as a condition for accepting King Mohammed's proposal.
The groom's polygamist father, King Hassan, like many Moroccan monarchs before him, had kept two wives.
Morocco Today heralded Bennani as someone who "integrates the new Moroccan generation, all-encompassing the values of our heritage and open to other cultures."
Bennani, much like Queen Rania of Jordan and Prince William of Great Britain's fiancée, Kate Middleton, quickly became an imitated trendsetter. Moroccan women began dying their hair red as soon as the engagement was announced.
The couple's royal wedding encompassed two distinct events: a palace wedding in March 2002, followed by a national celebration in July. The summer events were originally scheduled for April, but postponed by royal decree in deference to escalating Middle East conflicts.While his wife's face was completely covered for parts of the traditional Muslim ceremony, the king encouraged his populace to embrace his learned bride and partake in a three-day celebration that followed the couple's private March ceremony.
Among the bride's ceremonial looks was a traditional Moroccan robe of white, embellished with gold-threaded trim. She wore a diamond tiara and drop earrings.
The massive July celebrations, which included ethnic dancing and traditional music performances outside the royal palace, brought an international contingent of dignitaries to Rabat's Mishwar Square, including former President Bill Clinton and his daughter, Chelsea.
Princess Salma has remained a public symbol of her husband's sometimes controversial efforts to modernize his country, including 2004 reforms that gave women more rights.
The couple have two children; Crown Prince Moulay Hassan, 7, and 4-year-old Princess Lalla Khadija.
For centuries Morocco's monarchs, including the groom's late father, King Hassan, had kept their weddings state secrets and their brides in the deep palace background. Its patriarchal monarchy has never designated queens, and somewhat dismissively referred to its past royal wives as the "mother of" a king's children.
King Mohammed VI signaled change was coming by announcing his engagement in October 2001, an event Al Jazeera reported was a first for a reigning king. So, too, was the release of the bride's name and the stunning photograph of a vibrant woman with cascading red, wavy hair.Bennani, a schoolteacher's daughter, hails from a humble but well-respected family in the spiritual city of Fez.
Royal lore says it was love at first sight when the king met his accomplished princess bride at a 1999 party. Bennani worked for ONA Group, a diverse holding company that represented a substantial percentage of the royal assets. Early on, she reportedly set some ground rules for their courtship, insisting on a monogamous union as a condition for accepting King Mohammed's proposal.
The groom's polygamist father, King Hassan, like many Moroccan monarchs before him, had kept two wives.
Morocco Today heralded Bennani as someone who "integrates the new Moroccan generation, all-encompassing the values of our heritage and open to other cultures."
Bennani, much like Queen Rania of Jordan and Prince William of Great Britain's fiancée, Kate Middleton, quickly became an imitated trendsetter. Moroccan women began dying their hair red as soon as the engagement was announced.
The couple's royal wedding encompassed two distinct events: a palace wedding in March 2002, followed by a national celebration in July. The summer events were originally scheduled for April, but postponed by royal decree in deference to escalating Middle East conflicts.While his wife's face was completely covered for parts of the traditional Muslim ceremony, the king encouraged his populace to embrace his learned bride and partake in a three-day celebration that followed the couple's private March ceremony.
Among the bride's ceremonial looks was a traditional Moroccan robe of white, embellished with gold-threaded trim. She wore a diamond tiara and drop earrings.
The massive July celebrations, which included ethnic dancing and traditional music performances outside the royal palace, brought an international contingent of dignitaries to Rabat's Mishwar Square, including former President Bill Clinton and his daughter, Chelsea.
Princess Salma has remained a public symbol of her husband's sometimes controversial efforts to modernize his country, including 2004 reforms that gave women more rights.
The couple have two children; Crown Prince Moulay Hassan, 7, and 4-year-old Princess Lalla Khadija.