Doha – King Mohammed VI has expressed profound grief over the death of Abdelhak El Mrini, the historiographer of Morocco and spokesperson for the Royal Palace. El Mrini died in the night between Monday and Tuesday at the age of 91.
In a message of condolences to El Mrini’s family, the monarch conveyed his deep affliction and sadness. “We have learned with a profound affliction and great sadness the news of the death of Our faithful servant, the late Abdelhak Lamrini, historiographer of the Kingdom of Morocco and spokesperson of the Royal Palace,” wrote the sovereign.
He added that El Mrini’s death comes in the midst of the blessed days of Dou Al Hijja.
The King extended his sympathies to El Mrini’s family members, close ones, friends, admirers, and the academic and cultural community. He acknowledged the loss of “one of the pillars of their family, one of the intellectual and cultural figures, and one of the faithful servants of the country.”
According to the monarch, El Mrini’s intellectual and scientific contributions during his six-decade career provided comfort amid this painful loss.
‘A man with a remarkable career’
The sovereign noted that the deceased had enriched the national library with numerous pertinent and unique works that will forever remain “a living testimony of his intellectual eminence, his passion for knowledge, his dedication to serving his homeland, and his sincere and unwavering attachment to the constants and sacred values of the nation and the Alaouite Throne.”
Born in Rabat in 1934 to a family from Fez with ties to the Palace since Sultan Moulay Youssef’s era, El Mrini followed an exemplary academic path. After attending m’ssid (Quranic school) and Moulay Youssef High School, he earned doctorates from both Strasbourg University and the Faculty of Literature in Fez.
El Mrini joined the royal protocol directorate in 1965, beginning a long association with the monarchy. He served as Director of Royal Palaces, Honors, and Decorations before becoming the kingdom’s historiographer in 2010 and Royal Palace spokesperson in October 2012.
The deceased authored several important works, including “The Moroccan Army Throughout History,” which won the Literary Prize of Morocco in 1968. His other writings covered historical epics, societal themes, and religious subjects.
The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) also mourned El Mrini’s passing. The organization extended condolences to King Mohammed VI, El Mrini’s family, and the Moroccan people, recognizing him as “one of the prominent figures in Moroccan thought, history, and literature.”
ICESCO highlighted El Mrini’s special relationship with the organization, noting his participation in several cultural and intellectual events, including a lecture titled “Highlights about Tea in Morocco” during their Ramadan series in 2022.
The French Embassy in Morocco also expressed sadness over El Mrini’s death, paying tribute to “a man with a remarkable career” and offering sincere condolences to his family and loved ones.
