Queen Camilla wore black to meet Pope due to centuries-old rule allowing just seven royal women to wear white in his presence

Queen Camilla wore a black dress, with a striking headdress and matching veil, when she accompanied King Charles to meet Pope Leo overnight.

Her all-black outfit, which included matching stockings and shoes, was in keeping with tradition followed by her mother-in-law, Queen Elizabeth II, whose brooch she wore for the occasion.

An invitation to meet with the leader of the Catholic church at the Vatican is a rare opportunity afforded to heads of state, royalty and other important people.

But there is a strict dress code that must be adhered to, and only seven royal women worldwide have been granted the special honour of wearing something other than black.

A strict dress code

For centuries, the traditional attire for women who meet His Holiness is a black dress with long sleeves and a lace mantilla, or veil.

Knees are usually covered and tights (or pantyhose) is worn.

Notable royals who have followed this rule over the years include the late Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Grace of Monaco, Queen Mary of Denmark, Queen Silvia of Sweden and more recently, Queen Camilla.

She and King Charles were the last royals to meet with the late Pope Francis just weeks before his death.

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A strict dress code

For that meeting, which happened at the last minute during the King's tour of Italy after the Vatican previously cancelled the visit because of Francis' ailing health, Queen Camilla was dressed in black and without a veil.

When the Duchess of Cornwall, as she was known then, met with Pope Benedict XVI in 2009, she stuck to tradition by wearing a lace veil and long-sleeved dress.

But in April, 2017, Camilla caused a stir when she wore a pale gold dress and coat by Anna Valentine and no head covering, to meet with Pope Francis.

Many saw it as a break in royal protocol and a defiance of the Vatican's strict dress code.

However, the Holy See quickly issued a statement confirming the modern Pope Francis had welcomed the look, following a slight relaxation in the rules.

"Things have become more relaxed over the last few years there are no hard and fast rules," a spokesperson for the Vatican explained at the time.

While she had in the past worn black for a papal audience, Queen Elizabeth II chose a lilac suit by Angela Kelly with a matching hat when she met Pope Francis in 2014.

While wearing colour is now acceptable when in the presence of the Pope, women are still advised to avoid white.

If they do, they run the risk of causing offence to a privileged group of royal women.

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Privilège du blanc

Known as the 'privilège du blanc', or the privilege of the white, the honour allows select royal women to wear white in the presence of the Pontiff.

That rule was in force at two history making-events that took place earlier this year: the funeral of Pope Francis April 26, and the inauguration of his successor, Pope Leo XIV, on May 18.

Just seven senior royals from around the world officially qualify for the 'privilège du blanc' dress code: the wearing of a white outfit with a white head covering.

In Italian, the official language of the Holy See, the rule is known as il privilegio del blanco.

Those that have been granted the rare honour are Queen Letizia of Spain and her mother-in-law Queen Sofia, Queen Mathilde of Belgium and her mother-in-law Queen Paola, Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg, Princess Charlene of Monaco and Princess Marina of the House of Savoy (in Italy).

The honour is extended to royals from Catholic countries and to the royal houses whose regents have been given the title '(Most) Catholic Majesty', or Rex catholicissimus, and who preside over a predominately Catholic country.

Catholic monarchs who have remained loyal to the Vatican over the centuries are granted the privilege and the wearing of white is symbolic of the purity and innocence of these heads of state.

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Princess Charlene was the most recent royal to be granted the privilège du blanc in 2013 when she met with Pope Benedict XVI.

Her late mother-in-law Princess Grace was not afforded the honour during her time as wife of Prince Rainier III, despite Monaco being a Catholic country.

That's because Monaco is a principality and not a monarchy and during Princess Grace's life, the privilege had not yet been extended to the House of Grimaldi.

Princess Grace and Prince Rainier had met with Pope Pius XII in 1957, Pope John XXIII in 1959 and Pope Paul VI in 1974, with Grace wearing black on all occasions.

Although Princess Charlene has the privilege du blanc, in July 2022 she chose to wear black when meeting Pope Francis at the Vatican, for unknown reasons.

Royal women who can't wear white

At Pope Leo's inauguration on May 18, there were other royal women present who wore black, including Sweden's Crown Princess Victoria, who is Lutheran.

Queen Maxima of the Netherlands also wore black even though she is a Catholic. This is thought to be because her husband, King Willem-Alexander, is Protestant.

Many had met with previous popes in the years gone by, wearing black on those occasions too.

That's because royals from countries that aren't Catholic must either wear black or other colours.

Because Denmark is another Lutheran country, then-Crown Princess Mary wore black when she and her husband met Pope Francis in 2018.

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Queen Rania of Jordan, which is a predominantly Muslim country, wore black and a white headscarf when she and King Abdullah II met Pope Francis in 2013.

There are exceptions to the black rule, with royal women allowed to wear other colours as Elizabeth II did when she wore lilac.

But most choose to adhere to the traditional black dress code.

Many non-royal women have also chosen to follow the traditional dress code of black with a veil when meeting the Pontiff, including US First Lady Melania Trump in 2017, former First Lady Michelle Obama in 2009, and Amal Clooney in 2016.

Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair's wife, Cherie, caused outrage among Catholics worldwide when she wore white to meet with Pope Benedict XVI in 2006.

The following day, headlines around the world suggested she had a "grand idea of herself".

The Vatican is also a monarchy

The Pope is not only head of the Catholic church but he is also head of state, or sovereign, of the Vatican, which is an elective monarchy.

Much of the pomp and ceremony of the royal court of the Vatican has now gone, but some things – such as the Swiss Guard – remain.

Pope Paul VI was the last Pontiff to stop wearing the papal tiara, or crown, within weeks of his coronation in 1963. His was also the last papal coronation.

And it was Pope John Paul II who replaced the old-fashioned sedia gestatoria – the throne-like chair held on the shoulders of men and used to carry popes during formal ceremonies – with the Popemobile in 1978.

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