Princess Lalla Meryem of Morocco

Princess Lalla Meryem of Morocco (Arabic: الأميرة للا مريم‎‎, born 26 August 1962 in Rome, Italy) is the first daughter and eldest child of the late King Hassan II of Morocco and his second wife, Lalla Latifa Hammou.

After she obtained her Baccalaureat in 1981, Princess Lalla Meryem was appointed by her father as the President of Social Works of the Royal Army Forces.

On 15 September 1984, she married Fuad Filali (born 1957), the son of former Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister Abdellatif Filali. They had two children: a daughter and a son:

• Sharifa Lalla Soukaïna Filali (born 30 April 1986 in Rabat). On 11 October 2013 married Mohammed El Mehdi Regragui. On 27 September 2015, she gave birth to twins.
• Moulay Idris Filali (born 11 July 1988 in Rabat).

Lalla Meryem divorced from Fuad Filali in 1999.

Princess Meryem has two brothers King Mohammed VI and Prince Moulay Rachid, and two sisters Lalla Asma and Lalla Hasna.

Holder of numerous prestigious official functions, Princess Meryem has focused much of her activities on the social and cultural realm. Princess Meryem is the President of the Moroccan association in support of UNICEF, President of the Hassan II Foundation for the Moroccans residing abroad, President of the Moroccan National Observatory of the Childs Rights and President of the Hassan II Foundation for the social works of the former soldiers and ex-combatants. In July 2001, she was nominated UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador with focus her Ambassadorship on UNESCO projects for women and children. Also Member of the Honorary Committee of the International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children.

Since 2003 she is President of the National Union of Moroccan Women (UNFM).

Using her Royal status, she continues her work on behalf of women and children and advocate their rights on an international level.

National honours

• Knight Grand Cordon of the Order of the Throne.

Foreign honours

• Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (United Kingdom, 27/10/1980).
• Grand Cross of the Order of Prince Henry (Portuguese Republic, 25/08/1994).
• Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Order of Isabella the Catholic (Kingdom of Spain, 16 September 2000).
• Grand Cordon of the Order of Merit (Lebanese Republic, 17/07/2001).