The (; "the privilege of white") is a custom of the Catholic Church that permits certain designated female royalty to wear white clothing (traditionally a white dress and white veil) during an audience with the pope.James-Charles Noonan, Jr., The Church Visible: The Ceremonial Life and Protocol of the Roman Catholic Church (New York: Viking, 1996), 411. It is an exception to the traditional requirement of women to wear black garments on formal occasions.

History Protocol for papal audiences traditionally requires women to wear a black dress with sleeves and no cleavage, as well as a black mantilla or scarf for the head.George Seldes, The Vatican: Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow (New York: Harper & Brothers, 1934), 125.Fabio Cassani Pironti, Ordini in ordine: manuale d'uso decorazioni per il corpo diplomatico accreditato presso la Santa Sede, il Sovrano militare Ordine di Malta ed i rispettivi dignitari (Roma: Laurus Robuffo, 2004), 42 and 87.

Certain designated Catholic queens and princesses have nonetheless traditionally been exempted from wearing black garments. Those permitted to wear white garments include the Queen of Spain, the Queen of the Belgians, the Grand Duchess of Luxembourg, the Princess of Monaco, and the princesses of the House of Savoy. The privilege is not used by the wives of all Catholic monarchs or by the Catholic wives of non-Catholic monarchs, such as Queen Máxima of the Netherlands, who is the Catholic wife of the Protestant King Willem-Alexander. Even though they are Catholics, it is not accorded to the Queen of Lesotho, the Princess of Liechtenstein, the Afro-Bolivian Queen, nor the Māori Queen.

List of eligibility

, the following living royal women are eligible for the privilege: Queen Sofía, wife of Juan Carlos I, King of Spain (since 1975) Princess Marina, widow of Vittorio Emanuele, Crown Prince of Italy (since 1983) Queen Paola, wife of Albert II, King of the Belgians (since 1993) Grand Duchess Maria Teresa, wife of Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg (since 2000) Princess Charlene, wife of Albert II, Prince of Monaco (since 2013) Queen Mathilde, wife of Philippe, King of the Belgians (since 2013) Queen Letizia, wife of Felipe VI, King of Spain (since 2014) Grand Duchess Stéphanie, wife of Guillaume V, Grand Duke of Luxembourg (since 2025) Princess Gabriella of Monaco, daughter of Albert II, Prince of Monaco (since 2026)

In recent years Marina, Princess of Naples, wife of the former Head of the House of Savoy, Vittorio Emanuele, Prince of Naples, exercised the privilege on 18 May 2003 during a Catholic Mass marking the birthday of Pope John Paul II, of whom she had a private audience the day before.https://aleteia.org/2025/05/19/the-queens-who-used-the-privilege-of-white-at-popes-mass/

For the first time in Monégasque history on 12 January 2013, Charlene, Princess of Monaco, used the privilege in an audience with Pope Benedict XVI. The Holy See Press Office later issued a press release declaring the following:

Charlene exercised the privilege once again on 18 January 2016 when visiting Pope Francis as part of an official state visit to the Vatican with her husband, Albert II, Prince of Monaco.

On 28 March 2026, Princess Gabriella of Monaco and her mother (Princess Charlene) used the privilege during Pope Leo XIV's visit to Monaco.

List of occasions used

Among the occasions when the has been exercised are:

Date Catholic Royalty Pontiff Occasion2026 September 28Leo XIV State visit to France2026 June 8Queen Sofía of SpainState visit to Spain2026 June 6–10 Queen Letizia of Spain 2026 March 28 State visit to Monaco2026 March 20 Queen Letizia of SpainPrivate audience2026 January 23Stéphanie, Grand Duchess of LuxembourgPrivate audience2025 October 27Queen Mathilde of BelgiumPrivate audience2025 May 18Inauguration of Pope Leo XIV 2024 September 27 Queen Mathilde of Belgium Francis State visit to Belgium 2023 September 15 Queen Mathilde of Belgium Private audience 2018 October 14 Queen Sofía of Spain Canonization of Pope Paul VI 2016 September 4 Queen Sofía of Spain Canonization of Saint Teresa of Calcutta 2016 March 21 Maria Teresa, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg Private audience 2016 January 18 Charlene, Princess of Monaco State visit to the Vatican 2015 March 9 Queen Mathilde of Belgium Private audience 2014 June 30 Queen Letizia of Spain State visit to the Vatican 2014 April 27 Canonization of Pope John XXIII and Pope John Paul II 2013 March 19 Inaugural Mass of Pope Francis 2013 January 12 Charlene, Princess of Monaco Benedict XVI Private audience 2011 May 1 Beatification of Pope John Paul II 2009 October 10 Queen Paola of Belgium Private audience 2006 May 8 Maria Teresa, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg Private audience 2005 April 24 Inaugural Mass of Pope Benedict XVI 2004 October 3 Queen Fabiola of Belgium John Paul II Beatification of Charles I of Austria 2003 May 18 Marina, Princess of Naples Birthday of Pope John Paul II 2003 March 23 Private audience 1998 May 15 Queen Paola of Belgium Private audience 1981 April 30 Queen Sofía of Spain Private audience 1978 October 22 Inaugural Mass of Pope John Paul II 1978 September 3 John Paul I Inaugural Mass of Pope John Paul I 1977 February 10 Queen Sofía of Spain Paul VI Private audience 1965 May 6 Josephine Charlotte, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg Private audience 1961 June 9 Fabiola, Queen of the Belgians John XXIII Private audience"Privilege for Fabiola", New York Times (June 10, 1961), 10. 1939 December 28 Pius XII Papal visit to the Quirinal Palace 1939 January 23 Princess Maria Francesca of Savoy Pius XI Private audience after wedding 1935 March 4 Emanuela de Borbón, Duchess of Anjou and Segovia Private audience after wedding 1930 January 8 Marie-José, Princess of Piedmont Private audience after wedding 1929 December 28 Princess Adelaide of Savoy Private audience 1929 December 7 Private audience"Prince and Sisters Pay Visit to Pope", New York Times (December 8, 1929), 5. 1929 December 5 Private audience after signing of the Lateran Treaty"Italy's Sovereigns Make First Visit to Pope", New York Times (December 6, 1929), 1. 1923 November 19 Queen Victoria Eugenia of Spain Private audience"Alfonso Received in Papal Splendor", New York Times (November 20, 1923), 7.

References

External links