Privilège du blanc

Le privilège du blanc (Italian: Il privilegio del bianco) is a French term meaning "the privilege of white" used for a Catholic custom whereby certain designated royal women are permitted to wear a white dress and veil during audiences with the Pope.[1] This is an exception to the tradition of women wearing black on such occasions. Those who have been permitted to wear white include the Queens of Belgium, Italy and Spain, the Grand Duchess of Luxembourg, the Princess of Monaco, and the princesses of the House of Savoy.

This article is about sartorial protocol for royal persons within the Vatican. For the sociological concept, see White privilege.

Queen Elena of Italy and Crown Princess Marie-José wearing white garments in the presence of Pope Pius XII at the Quirinal Palace on 27 December 1939.

History

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

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 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.[4]

List of eligibility

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

Kingdom Duchy Principality	Royal personage granted for	On the occasion of:
	Queen Sofía of Spain	Accession of husband to the Spanish throne in 1975
	Queen Paola of the Belgians	Accession of husband to the Belgian throne in 1993
	The Grand Duchess of Luxembourg	Accession of husband to the Luxembourgish throne in 2000
	The Princess of Monaco[lower-alpha 1]	Dispensation from Pope Benedict XVI to the House of Grimaldi in 2013
	The Queen of the Belgians	Accession of husband to the Belgian throne in 2013
	The Queen of Spain	Accession of husband to the Spanish throne in 2014
	The Princess of Naples	Dispensation from Pope Pius XI to the House of Savoy in 1929

In recent years

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 mass marking the birth anniversary of Pope John Paul II.[5]

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."[6]

Charlene used 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.

Cherie Blair (wife of former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Tony Blair) was criticised for wearing white garments when visiting Pope Benedict XVI on 28 April 2006.[7] Blair was speaking at a Vatican conference on children and youth. Pope Benedict, 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.[8]

List of occasions used

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

Date of visit	Queen / Princess	Supreme Pontiff	Occasion
2018 October 14	Queen Sofía of Spain	Francis	Canonization of Pope Paul VI[9]
2016 September 4	Queen Sofía of Spain	Francis	Canonization of Saint Teresa of Calcutta[10]
2016 March 21	Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg	Francis	Private audience[11][12]
2016 January 18	Princess Charlene 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	Queen Sofía of Spain Queen Paola of Belgium Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg	Francis	Canonization of Pope John XXIII and Pope John Paul II
2013 March 19	Queen Paola of Belgium Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg	Francis	Inaugural mass of Pope Francis[13]
2013 January 12	Princess Charlene of Monaco	Benedict XVI	Private audience[14]
2011 May 1	Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg Queen Paola of Belgium	Benedict XVI	Beatification of Pope John Paul II[15]
2009 October 10	Queen Paola of Belgium	Benedict XVI	Private audience[16][17][18]
2006 May 8	Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg	Benedict XVI	Private audience[17][18]
2005 April 24	Queen Sofía of Spain Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg	Benedict XVI	Inaugural mass of Pope Benedict XVI[17][18]
2004 October 3	Queen Fabiola of Belgium	John Paul II	Beatification of Charles I of Austria[19]
2003 May 18	Princess of Naples, Marina of Savoy	John Paul II	Birthday of Pope John Paul II[5][20]
2003 March 23	Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg Princess Alexandra of Luxembourg	John Paul II	Private audience[21]
1998 May 15	Queen Paola of Belgium	John Paul II	Private audience[17]
1981 April 30	Queen Sofía of Spain	John Paul II	Private audience[18]
1978 October 22	Grand Duchess Josephine Charlotte of Luxembourg Queen Sofía of Spain	John Paul II	Inaugural mass of Pope John Paul II[18]
1978 September 3	Queen Fabiola of Belgium Queen Sofía of Spain Grand Duchess Josephine Charlotte of Luxembourg	John Paul I	Inaugural mass of Pope John Paul I[18]
1977 February 10	Queen Sofía of Spain	Paul VI	Private audience[18]
1965 May 6	Grand Duchess Josephine Charlotte of Luxembourg	Paul VI	Private audience[22][23]
1961 June 9	Queen Fabiola of Belgium	John XXIII	Private audience[18][24][25]
1939 December 28	Queen Elena of Italy Princess Marie José of Piedmont	Pius XII	Papal visit to the Quirinal Palace[26]
1939 January 23	Princess Maria of Savoy	Pius XI	Private audience after wedding
1930 January 8	Princess Marie José of Piedmont	Pius XI	Private audience after wedding
1929 December 28	Princess Maria Adelaide of Savoy	Pius XI	Private audience[27]
1929 December 7	Princess Giovanna of Savoy Princess Maria of Savoy	Pius XI	Private audience[28]
1929 December 5	Queen Elena of Italy Princess Helene, Duchess of Aosta Queen of Belgium, Elizabeth of Bavaria Princess Maria Cristina of Bourbon-Two Sicilies[29]	Pius XI	Private audience after signing of the Lateran Treaty[18][30]
1923 November 19	Queen Victoria Eugenia of Spain	Pius XI	Private audience[31][32]

References

1. James-Charles Noonan, Jr., The Church Visible: The Ceremonial Life and Protocol of the Roman Catholic Church (New York: Viking, 1996), 411.
2. George Seldes, The Vatican: Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow (New York: Harper & Brothers, 1934), 125.
3. 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.
4. Queen Maxima of Netherlands before the Most Supreme Pontiff Francis — https://incaelo.files.wordpress.com/2016/04/3825095939.jpg?w=964
5. "Marina in San Pietro con tailleur bianco", Corriere della Sera (19 maggio 2003).
6. "His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI Holds an Audience with TSHs Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene of Monaco. (VIDEO)". The Royal Correspondent.
7. "White outfit, wrong occasion, Cherie". Telegraph Online.
8. Association, Press (28 April 2006). "Cherie Blair gets surprise audience with Pope". Retrieved 1 October 2016 – via The Guardian.
9. "Pope Francis Receives Queen Sofía of Spain"
10. "Pope Francis Receives Queen Sofía of Spain"
11. "Pope Francis receives Grand Duke and Duchess of Luxembourg". news.va. Retrieved 1 October 2016.
12. Photographic image. Getty Images.
13. Photographic image. Getty Images.
14. Photographic image. Getty Images.
15. Photographic image. Getty Images.
16. Photographic image. Getty Images.
17. Mantilla With Me. "Catholic Mantilla - Will You Mantilla With Me?: Politicos and Popes: Mantilla Action in the Vatican". mantillawithme.blogspot.ca.
18. Princeps Fidelissimus. "Noble y Real". nobleyreal.blogspot.ca.
19. Photonews. "Pope Jean-Paul II and queen Fabiola of Belgium". Getty Images.
20. "The Glittering Casa Savoia".
21. Photographic image. Getty Images.
22. Sydney Luxarazzi. "Luxarazzi : Luxarazzi 101: The Grand Ducal Family at the Vatican". lux-arazzi.blogspot.ca.
23. "Catholic Northwest Progress May 14, 1965 Page 1". stparchive.com.
24. "Privilege for Fabiola", New York Times (June 10, 1961), 10.
25. Photo with Pope John XIII
26. "Speeches 1939 - PIUS XII". vatican.va. Retrieved 1 October 2016.
27. "Italian Princes See Pope: Duke and Duchess of Genoa Among Seven of House of Savoy Present". The New York Times. The New York Times Company. 1929-12-29. ISSN 0362-4331. OCLC 1645522. Retrieved 2016-06-08. Pope Pius received additional Princes of the ruling House of Savoy in audience today. They included the Duke and Duchess of Genoa, the Prince of Udine, the Duke of Pistoia, the Duke of Bergamo, Princess Maria Adelaide and the Duke of Ancona.
28. "Prince and Sisters Pay Visit to Pope", New York Times (December 8, 1929), 5.
29. British Pathe 1929 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDZuqIC7gs4
30. "Italy's Sovereigns Make First Visit to Pope", New York Times (December 6, 1929), 1.
31. "Alfonso Received in Papal Splendor", New York Times (November 20, 1923), 7.
32. "DINASTÍAS - Los Foros de la Realeza • Ver Tema - LOS PRIMOS HERMANOS DEL REY". forogratis.es. Retrieved 1 October 2016.

Notes

1. Charlene of Monaco did not obtain the privilege in 2011 upon her marriage to a Catholic monarch, rather was gifted for her upcoming birthday by Pope Benedict XVI on 2013 for the matrimonial commitment of raising their children in the Roman Catholic faith.

External links

Media related to Privilège du blanc at Wikimedia Commons