French: Le '''privilège du blanc''' (in French pronounced as /lə pʁivilɛʒ dy blɑ̃/; "the privilege of the white") is a custom of the Roman 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.[1] It is an exception to the traditional requirement of women to wear black garments on such occasions, which has become optional since the 1980s.
Traditionally, the protocol for papal audiences required women to wear a long black garment with long sleeves, and a black veil, the colour of which signified the virtues of piety and humility. The queens of Portugal, Italy, Belgium and Spain[2] were exempt from this rule, as were the Grand Duchess of Luxembourg and the princesses of the House of Savoy.
Those who are at present permitted to wear white garments include the Queens of Spain and Belgium, the Grand Duchess of Luxembourg and the Princess of Monaco.
The protocol for papal audiences formerly required that women wear a long black dress with a high collar and long sleeves, and a black mantilla.[3] [4] 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 Catholic wives of non-Catholic monarchs. Even though they are Catholics, it is not accorded to the Queen of Lesotho, the Princess of Liechtenstein, or the Queen of the Afro-Bolivians.[5] It is also not accorded to the wife of a male President of France, even though the French President is ex-officio 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.
The following living royal women are currently eligible for the privilege:
| on the occasion of | ||
|---|---|---|
| accession of husband to the Spanish throne (1975) | ||
| Queen Paola of Belgium | 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 | dispensation from Pope Benedict XVI to the House of Grimaldi (2013) | |
| The Queen of the Belgians | accession of husband to the Belgian throne (2013) | |
| accession of husband to the Spanish throne (2014) | ||
| The Princess of Naples/Princess of Piedmont, widow of the head of the House of Savoy | accession of husband to headship of the Italian house (1983) | |
| The Princess of Venice, consort of the head of the House of Savoy | accession of husband to headship of the Italian house (2024) |
Marina, Princess of Naples, widow of the former 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.[6]
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 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.[7]
Among the occasions when the French: privilège du blanc has been exercised are the following:
| Date | Queen/Princess | Pontiff | Occasion |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 September 15 | Queen Mathilde of Belgium | Francis | Private Audience |
| 2018 October 14 | Queen Sofía of Spain | Francis | Canonization of Pope Paul VI |
| 2016 September 4 | Queen Sofía of Spain | Francis | Canonization of Saint Teresa of Calcutta |
| 2016 March 21 | Maria Teresa, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg | Francis | Private audience[8] |
| 2016 January 18 | Charlene, Princess of Monaco | Francis | State visit to the Vatican |
| 2015 March 9 | Queen Mathilde of Belgium | Francis | Private audience |
| 2014 June 30 | Queen Letizia of Spain | Francis | State visit to the Vatican |
| 2014 April 27 | Francis | Canonization of Pope John XXIII and Pope John Paul II | |
| 2013 March 19 | Francis | Inaugural Mass of Pope Francis | |
| 2013 January 12 | Charlene, Princess of Monaco | Benedict XVI | Private audience |
| 2011 May 1 | Benedict XVI | Beatification of Pope John Paul II | |
| 2009 October 10 | Queen Paola of Belgium | Benedict XVI | Private audience |
| 2006 May 8 | Maria Teresa, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg | Benedict XVI | Private audience |
| 2005 April 24 | Benedict XVI | 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, Dowager Princess of Naples | John Paul II | Birthday of Pope John Paul II |
| 2003 March 23 | John Paul II | Private audience | |
| 1998 May 15 | Queen Paola of Belgium | John Paul II | Private audience |
| 1981 April 30 | Queen Sofía of Spain | John Paul II | Private audience |
| 1978 October 22 | John Paul II | 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 | Paul VI | Private audience |
| 1961 June 9 | Fabiola, Queen of the Belgians | John XXIII | Private audience[9] |
| 1939 December 28 | Pius XII | Papal visit to the Quirinal Palace[10] | |
| 1939 January 23 | Princess Maria Francesca of Savoy | Pius XI | Private audience after wedding |
| 1935 March 4 | Emanuela de Borbón y Dampierre, Duchess of Anjou and Segovia | Pius XI | Private audience after wedding |
| 1930 January 8 | Marie José, Princess of Piedmont | Pius XI | Private audience after wedding |
| 1929 December 28 | Princess Adelaide of Savoy | Pius XI | Private audience[11] |
| 1929 December 7 | Pius XI | Private audience[12] | |
| 1929 December 5 | Pius XI | Private audience after signing of the Lateran Treaty[13] | |
| 1923 November 19 | Queen Victoria Eugenia of Spain | Pius XI | Private audience[14] |