[1][2] Hassan reportedly preferred to avoid being treated outside his home country, in contrast to King Hussein of Jordan, who spent several of his final weeks at the Mayo Clinic Hospital in Rochester, Minnesota.
At around noon, he fell into a comatose state due to a myocardial infarction and was transferred to the CHU Ibn Sina [fr] hospital, which later released an official statement indicating that the king was "suffering from acute pneumopathy".
An official ascension ceremony took place in the evening, with him taking the title of King Mohammed VI, and Moulay Rachid becoming crown prince.
[1] Following the announcement of the king's death, hundreds of mourners visited the Royal Palace in Rabat, and a television anchor on state broadcaster RTM openly cried.
[9] A 40-day period of national mourning was declared, with flags due to be flown at half-mast at public and semi-public institutions, as well as Moroccan diplomatic missions abroad.
[11] The Polisario Front, a Sahrawi nationalist movement which fought a war with Morocco from 1975 to 1991, said Hassan "would be remembered for ruling the disputed territory with ruthless oppression".
Prime Minister Lionel Jospin remarked that "throughout his reign, marked by a unique relationship of friendship and trust between Morocco and France, the King has embodied the fundamental values of his country, in its traditions as well as in its openness to the world".
[12] Tony Blair, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, said that Hassan would be remembered for "dedication and fortitude", while Queen Elizabeth II privately conveyed her condolences to King Mohammed VI.
[24] The Moroccan cabinet, headed by Abderrahmane Youssoufi, held an extraordinary meeting on 24 July to discuss the implementation of the funeral proceedings,[8][25] which were subsequently delayed by a day to allow time for foreign dignitaries to travel to Rabat.
[26] The funeral began at approximately 15:00 (UTC) on 25 July, when Hassan's coffin, draped in a cloth depicting the Shahada in golden writing, was placed on a gun carriage after being carried outside the royal palace, and the national anthem was sung.
His relatives, including King Mohammed VI and Crown Prince Moulay Rachid, followed the procession alongside army officials and foreign dignitaries.