Woman Claims to be Hidden Daughter of Morocco’s Late King Hassan II in Belgian Court Battle

"The decision was not easy, but I remain strong. I am convinced that the truth will come to light," said El Independiente’s Jane, who hopes that the Belgian justice system will rule in her favor and recognize her as the hidden daughter of the late King Hassan II, and therefore the eldest half-sister of King Mohammed VI. The septuagenarian would be the fruit of a relationship between her mother, Freha, a 17-year-old young woman, and Hassan II, then the young heir to the throne at the age of 21. The love story would have lasted two years, from 1951 to August 1953. Jane was born on November 14, 1953.

"My grandmother used to tell me how the palace car, a black Mercedes, would come to pick up my mother and, before getting into the vehicle, she would unload boxes of meat, fruits and vegetables, because she came from a rather poor family..." recounts Eldad Sela, one of Jane’s sons, who accompanies her in her legal journey. Jane never understood why her mother entrusted her to a Christian foster family in a small Flemish town in Belgium, ten months after her birth in Casablanca.

"My whole childhood was a big lie. Everyone tried to hide who I was. I wanted to break away from everything and I went to live in Israel. I was 18 and I joined the army," said Jane, who is married, a mother of three children and a grandmother of six grandchildren. "As I grew older and my children grew up, they asked me more and more questions. So I wanted to give them the opportunity to understand where I come from and what my childhood was like." This is how she embarked on this legal battle to prove that she is the half-sister of Mohammed VI.

The DNA tests carried out have confirmed that she has no kinship with Raoul, her supposed father, and that her biological father is neither European nor Jewish. The Moroccan royal family, for its part, opposes a paternity test. A hearing will take place "probably in the spring of 2025" to rule on this issue. "I just ask to be accepted. They could call me tomorrow and invite me to have coffee in Paris and acknowledge that I am their sister. I’m not asking to live in the palace or to be a Moroccan princess. I’m 70 years old and I’ve made my life," details the septuagenarian.

"We’re going to win. We’ve already come a long way. They can reject the DNA test, but they have to reach an agreement. Belgian justice is very favorable to children’s rights. And our lawyer Marc Uyttendaele always says that every child has the right to know who their parents are and where they come from. I’m not going to give up now," confided Jane, who dreams of visiting Morocco. "I want to go there one day, but only when they receive me properly... I was born in Morocco and it’s a country that is a part of me. My grandmother and grandfather are buried there."