When a deadly earthquake struck Morocco, King Mohamed VI was in Paris. His luxury homes in France have become a focus of public debate about his leadership and ties to Europe.
On the night a powerful earthquake hit Morocco, King Mohamed VI was not in Rabat. He was in his Paris mansion, just a short walk from the Eiffel Tower. News of his location, revealed after the disaster that killed nearly 3,000 people, sparked criticism and renewed questions about the king’s relationship with both France and his own country.
Mohamed VI had arrived in Paris on September 1, 2023, a week before the earthquake. The property he stayed in is a 1,600-square-meter hôtel particulier near the Champ de Mars, bought in 2020. The king returned to Morocco the day after the quake, but his absence during the crisis and the concentration of power in his hands remained a source of public debate. According to POLITICO, citing AFP and the French Foreign Ministry, Mohamed VI was confirmed to be in France at the time, which added to the political tension.
The royal family’s estate in Betz, north of Paris, has belonged to the Moroccan monarchy since 1972, when it was acquired by Hassan II.
For years, Paris has been Mohamed VI’s preferred place for rest, medical treatment, and family visits. The city has served as more than a private retreat—it is where his personal and political lives often overlap. The earthquake changed that dynamic. His presence abroad during a national emergency turned his French residences into a public issue. Recent reports confirm that Mohamed VI’s real estate in France goes beyond the Paris apartment, including the Hôtel de Broglie and the château de Betz, which was reportedly put up for sale in February 2024 as part of a reorganization of assets.
The king’s ties to France are longstanding. The château de Betz, a historic estate in Oise bought by Hassan II in 1972, has been important to the royal family for decades. Mohamed VI spent several weeks there in June 2022, but by September 2023, he had not returned to France for months. Another royal property, the château de Gretz-Armainvilliers, was also put up for sale, suggesting a shift in the king’s French holdings. The Betz estate has been linked to the royal family for over fifty years, underlining the dynastic nature of their presence in France.
Relations between Mohamed VI and French President Emmanuel Macron have been tense. Even when both were in Paris, the king sometimes avoided meeting Macron. Disagreements have included the Western Sahara dispute, France’s decision to reduce visas for Moroccans in 2021, issues related to Algeria, and the Pegasus spyware scandal. In July 2021, an international investigation linked Morocco to the use of Pegasus, with Macron’s phone reportedly among the targets. Morocco denied the allegations, but the incident strained diplomatic ties.
Three years after the earthquake, Morocco’s recovery remains slow: as of March, 54,425 homes had been built or repaired, while over 3,000 were still under construction. The government has distributed more than 7.2 billion dirhams (about €656 million / $770 million) in compensation and aid to affected families.
High Atlas Development Agency
Attempts to repair the relationship have been cautious. In February 2024, Brigitte Macron hosted Mohamed VI’s three sisters—Lala Meryem, Lala Hasna, and Lala Asma—at the Élysée. Observers saw this as a carefully planned gesture to ease tensions. The king’s public appearances in Paris since the earthquake have been rare and informal, including a November 2024 outing with his children. According to recent reports, Mohamed VI’s official state visit to Paris has been postponed again, with the next possible date expected in January 2027.
Mohamed VI is expected to visit France before Macron’s term ends in April, but the timing is still unclear. His long stays abroad, especially in France, continue to raise questions about leadership and accountability in Morocco. The contrast between his private life in Paris and his public role in Rabat is now a subject of open discussion. Public scrutiny of the monarchy has grown, not only because of the earthquake but also due to the king’s extended absences and the secrecy around his European properties.
The king’s French residences have become more than personal retreats—they now symbolize a monarchy facing both privilege and political risk. The earthquake highlighted the problems of a leadership style marked by distance and privacy. As Morocco continues to recover, the king’s choices abroad will remain under close watch, and the era of unexamined royal escapes to Paris appears to be over.
