Indeed, throughout his brief reign, King Mohammed has been careful to present himself as a navigator between two Moroccos.

When King Mohammed's father died, President Clinton and scores of other Western leaders came to the funeral.

King Mohammed made a rare television appearance on March 9 announcing major constitutional reform.

King Mohammed asked just as television cameras began rolling.

But an official written communiqué issued by King Mohammed's aides offered a mixed message.

I can't know for sure what kind of a King Mohammed will be, but it was time for a younger man to take over.

"Everybody here knows about King Mohammed's promise," said Hassan Benimol, a carpet salesman.

Protesters have also demanded that King Mohammed enforce accountability, fight corruption and limit the influence of the secretive palace elite.

Like his father, King Mohammed had almost complete control over Morocco's government.

King Mohammed paid a controversial visit to the Western Sahara in 2002.