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Rabat – King Mohammed VI, accompanied by his son Prince Moulay El Hassan and his brother Prince Moulay Rachid, visited the tomb of his grandfather, the late King Mohammed V, on Monday, May 4.
May 4, 2020, coinciding with the 10th day of the Islamic month of Ramadan, commemorates the 61st anniversary of the death of King Mohammed V, according to the Islamic calendar.
The late monarch died of heart failure on Ramadan 10, 1380 AH, or February 26, 1961.
To pay tribute to his grandfather, King Mohammed VI usually holds a religious ceremony, inviting Quran reciters to read chapters of the holy book on late King Mohammed V’s soul.
However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, King Mohammed VI only visited the tomb with few members from the royal family.
King Mohammed V is remembered for his role in regaining Morocco’s independence from French and Spanish colonialism.
The late king became Sultan in 1927 and kept the title until 1953, when French authorities forced him and his family into exile, to Corsica and to Madagascar, due to the growing hope of independence he instilled among the Moroccan people.
The strong bond King Mohammed V built with his people led to popular unrest after his exile, with Moroccans demanding an immediate return of their Sultan. The Moroccan independence movement itself is known as the Revolution of the King and the People.
One of King Mohammed V’s most memorable moments was the Tangier speech, delivered on April 10, 1947. In his speech, the late monarch called for Morocco’s independence and territorial unity, dismissing an addition to the script written by French authorities that encouraged Moroccans to cooperate with France.
King Mohammed V came back from exile on November 16, 1955, after Moroccan nationalists upscaled their resistance acts, demanding their ruler’s return.
Soon after his return, the late king began negotiating with France and Spain to secure Morocco’s independence, which yielded results one year later, in 1956.
Today, King Mohammed V holds a special place in Moroccans’ hearts. His struggle for independence symbolizes Morocco’s sovereignty and resilience to foreign pressure.
