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.