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Morocco's crown prince Moulay Hassan, all of 12, does not appear to like being kissed on the hand. It wouldn't have mattered, had it not been a tradition for dignitaries to kiss the hands of the state's royalty.

The 12-year-old started appearing at official events last year according to news reports. While his father is criticised for allowing this medieval, servile practice to continue, the young prince is clearly uncomfortable. Just as anyone bends to kiss his hand, the prince quickly snatches it away.

King Mohammad VI, Morocco's current ruler, was expected to abolish the practice. But although he has brought about reform in some other areas, he continues to enjoy this particular tradition, which other, more conservative, Arab societies have given up.

In 2012, when the little prince attended his first official event with his father, the inauguration of a new zoo in Rabat, images of senior officials bending over to kiss the prince's hand drew significant ire from other Arab societies, especially since the Moroccan royalty has been pitching itself as "progressive".

Moroccans can predict the first reform the new king will bring in when he takes over the crown.

In the video above we see him squirming away from the kisses that just won't stop coming. The people lined up to greet the prince appear perplexed at his sudden reaction, with only a few wise enough to stick to a firm handshake.

Royal duties must be hard to perform at age 12. But the sharply dressed prince appears to be doing admirably. The origins of the clip are not clear. The first post on the prince's abhorrence for the gesture appeared on Twitter on December 4, 2015.

While the clip may generate a laugh, the issue of kissing the king's hands is a serious one in Morocco and one that has inspired considerable debate. This piece from 2013 says, "At the beginning of his reign the Moroccan king had promised to lighten the royal protocol. The young monarch was perceived as a 'cool' king who brought hopes of a new openness. Mohammed VI’s abolition of the practice of kissing the king’s hand was a sign of modernity that people waited for with much hope. But we are still waiting."