Privilège du blanc

In the Roman Catholic tradition, black garments signify both virtues of piety and humility. Protocol for papal audiences formerly required that women wear a long black dress with a high collar and long sleeves, and a black mantilla.[2][3] Certain designated Catholic queens and princesses have nonetheless traditionally been exempted from wearing black garments.

The privilege is not used by the wives of all Catholic monarchs or by the wives of non-Catholic monarchs. Even though they are Catholics, it is not accorded to the Queen of Lesotho or the Princess of Liechtenstein, nor to the wife of the Co-Prince of Andorra.

The privilege is also not accorded to Queen Máxima of the Netherlands, who is the Catholic wife of the Protestant King Willem-Alexander; nor to Katharine, Duchess of Kent, Princess Michael of Kent, or Sylvana, Countess of Saint Andrews, who are the senior Catholic members of the Protestant British royal family.

The following living royal women are currently eligible for the privilege:

Kingdom Duchy Principality	Catholic Sovereign	On the occasion of:
	Queen Sofía of Spain	Accession of husband to the Spanish throne (1975)
	Queen Paola of the Belgians	Accession of husband to the Belgian throne (1993)
	The Grand Duchess of Luxembourg	Accession of husband to the Luxembourgish throne (2000)
	The Princess of Monaco	From 2013
	The Queen of the Belgians	Accession of husband to the Belgian throne (2013)
	The Queen of Spain	Accession of husband to the Spanish throne (2014)
	The Duchess of Savoy	Dispensation from Pope Pius XI to the House of Savoy (1929)

The Princess of Monaco meeting Pope Francis on an official state visit at the Vatican.

Marina, Princess of Naples, wife of the Head of the House of Savoy, Vittorio Emanuele, Prince of Naples, used the privilege on 18 May 2003 during a Catholic mass marking the birth anniversary of Pope John Paul II.[4]

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:

"…in accordance with prescribed ceremonial of the Vatican for Catholic Sovereigns, the Princess (of Monaco) was allowed to dress in white."

Charlene availed the privilege 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.

Among the occasions when the privilège du blanc has been exercised are the following:

• Cherie Blair (2006) — the wife of former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, was criticised for wearing white garments when visiting Pope Benedict XVI on 28 April 2006.[12] Blair was speaking at a Vatican conference on children and youth. The Pontiff, hearing she was at the Vatican, requested she meet with him, only giving her a few minutes' notice and forcing her to rush in her day clothes to accommodate the Pope's request.[13] Blair is a Roman Catholic and has previously worn black garments to meet with the Pontiff.

• Mehriban Aliyeva (2020) — the First Lady of Azerbaijan chose to wear a white veil during a private audience with Pope Francis on 22 February 2020, despite not being a Roman Catholic nor of Royal personage. She previously wore black garments for the same Pontiff on 6 March 2015. [14]

Media related to Privilège du blanc at Wikimedia Commons