King Mohammed VI: ex-wife Lalla Salma makes first public appearance since their divorce
Absent from the public scene since her divorce from King Mohammed VI in 2018, Lalla Salma surprised everyone on Tuesday, September 16, 2025, by reappearing at the Hassan II University Hospital in Fez. The former first lady of Morocco, long committed to health issues, visited hospitalized patients, thus resuming a role she had embodied for years.
Roi Mohammed VI – première apparition publique de son ex-épouse Lalla Salma depuis leur divorce @ Belga Image
Off the media radar for seven years, Lalla Salma had only been seen in private, notably during holidays in Greece in 2024 with her children, Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan and Princess Lalla Khadija. Nicknamed the “ghost princess,” she long cultivated an air of discretion that fueled rumors and speculation in the kingdom.
Her return to Fez, her hometown, is in line with her ongoing commitments to the fight against cancer and AIDS, through the foundation that bears her name.
A “people’s princess” still adored
This unexpected appearance immediately raised questions. According to the Spanish outlet Vanitatis El Confidencial, the relaying of the information by Najib Addadi, an influencer reputedly close to the palace, suggests an implicit validation by the Makhzen.
In a context where every gesture of the royal family is scrutinized, this public outing raises several hypotheses. Is it a gesture of openness, an attempt to calm speculation, or simply a humanitarian act?
Still very popular, Lalla Salma retains a special aura among Moroccans. Her charisma, commitment and image as a “people’s princess” continue to nourish strong attachment.
Her visit to Fez served as a reminder that beyond her withdrawal from royal affairs, she remains a beloved figure, a symbol of closeness and compassion in the Moroccan collective imagination.