LONDON -- King Hassan II of Morocco began a four-day visit to Britain Tuesday to discuss Middle East peace prospects -- including the possibility of an international peace conference -- with Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.
Hassan arrived in Britain Monday with his 180-person entourage and his own bed -- a smaller-than-usual divan because the 5-foot-8 leader likes his own small bed -- and booked three floors at a posh Brighton Hotel.
British government sources said his early arrival was arranged so he would not be late for his first appointment with Queen Elizabeth II, who he kept waiting for two hours in the desert during her visit to the North African nation in 1980.
Starting the official part of his trip, Hassan took a train from Brighton in southern England up to London and arrived on time at Victoria Station to be greeted by Queen Elizabeth and her family, including Princess Diana and the duchess of York.
A Downing Street spokeswoman said the prime minister and Hassan would meet Wednesday for talks on Middle East peace prospects, including the possibility of setting up an international peace conference.
'Mrs. Thatcher is interested in getting some sort of international conference to start momentum toward Middle East peace,' she said.
Thatcher Monday meet with Jordan's King Hussein, who was visiting London privately, for two hours to discuss such a conference. Last month she also met with Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres and publicly supported his desire for a conference, which might include participation of the Soviet Union.
Peres met with Hassan in Morocco last year to discuss Middle East peace prospects but that meeting produced no breakthrough.
Hassan will stay in London until Friday.
The fez-wearing, berobed king's visit has already caused some unusual incidents in Britain. Staff at his Brighton Hotel rushed to his suite when the smoke alarms sounded -- only to find the buzzers were set off by incense burning in his room, police said.
