Dating to the 1940s, this home movie shows the men of the Royal Guard of King Mohamed the Fifth, including the pledge of allegiance ceremony. This ceremony occurred annually on 18 November at the Royal Palace in Rabat. The actual year that this was shot is unknown. The Royal Guard was created in 1088 as the “Black Guard” by the Almoravide’s Sultan Youssef Ibn Tachfin. It’s the world’s oldest military corps in activity.
Mohammed V (10 August 1909 – 26 February 1961) was Sultan of Morocco from 1927–53, exiled from 1953–55, where he was again recognized as Sultan upon his return, and King from 1957 to 1961. His full name was Sidi Mohammed ben Yusef, or Son of (Sultan) Yusef, upon whose death he succeeded to the throne. He was a member of the Alaouite Dynasty.
On 20 August 1953, the French who were occupying Morocco at the time forced Mohammed V and his family into exile on Corsica. His uncle, Mohammed Ben Aarafa, was placed on the throne. Mohammed V and his family were then transferred to Madagascar in January 1954. Mohammed V returned from exile on 16 November 1955, and was again recognized as Sultan after active opposition to the French protectorate. In February 1956 he successfully negotiated with France for the independence of Morocco, and in 1957 took the title of King.
The Royal Guard traces its origins to the prestigious Black Guard that was created in 1088 by the Almoravid ruler Yusuf ibn Tashfin as his personal guard. This recruitment tradition was continued by the Almohads through the 15th century. The Alaouite Sultan Moulay Ismail reorganized the Black Guard into permanent infantry and cavalry units at the beginning of the 18th century. He called upon Bambara men who had just converted to Islam, making them take an oath of service on the collection of hadith of the Imam Bukhari. For this reason they were also known as the “Army of Bukhara” or the Boukharis.
Elements of the French Foreign Legion may also be displayed in this film. The Foreign Legion is a military service branch of the French Army established in 1831, unique because it was created for foreign nationals willing to serve in the French Armed Forces.
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This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD and 2k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com
