King Mohammed VI of Morocco has postponed this month’s festivities celebrating his nuptials to 24-year-old computer engineer Salma Bennani, citing the crisis in the Middle East. Originally planned for this Friday in Marrakech, the three-day celebrations to honour the couple’s March 24 wedding will be rescheduled, said a palace spokesman.
Though the main event – a gala celebration attended by Moroccan and foreign dignitaries – is on hold, the more traditional and private ceremonies may still take place. In these, the bride, her hands and feet painted with henna, will accompany private guests and women of the court, who present gifts from the groom. On the second day, she will don a kaftan and precious jewels to rejoin her husband and the royal family.
The king’s marriage to Salma - now known as Her Royal Highness Princess Lalla Salma - last month set a new tradition in the North African country, since royal weddings had previously been ultra-secret affairs. Mohammed, who ascended to the throne after the death of his father in 1999, has a reputation as a more modern ruler, and he chose to reveal the name of his flame-haired wife-to-be and allow her photo to be published.
The postponement amended the king’s announcement early Monday that the event would be cancelled completely due to the “crisis in Palestine”. That news came soon after Mohammed met with US Secretary of State Colin Powell, who is in Morocco on the first leg of his peace mission. The moderate Arab leader, quickly becoming known for breaking tradition, once again stepped out of long-held protocol to publicly criticise his guest for having delayed his peace-seeking trip to the Middle East by visiting Morocco first.
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Originally planned for April 12 in Marrakech, the three-day celebrations to honour the king's wedding to Salma Bennani are on hold due to the conflict in the Middle East
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Royal watchers around the world are waiting for the gala event - the king’s marriage to the red-headed computer engineer has set a new tradition, as Moroccan royal weddings used to be ultra-secret affairs
