During their state visit to Italy, King Charles III and Queen Camilla made a brief stop at the Vatican to meet with Pope Francis.
Although the meeting lasted only 20 minutes and was not on the official agenda, it was a high-level audience, so strict Vatican protocol applied.
Camilla’s Vatican Look: What the Protocol Says
Queen Camilla came dressed in black, following almost to the letter the rules of etiquette: dress below the knee, long sleeves, no cleavage or flashy jewelry. She only omitted the traditional veil.
However, her attire has generated debate in social media, where many wonder why some queens wear white before the Pope and not her.
The answer lies in an exclusive privilege. Only a few women can wear white in official audiences with the pontiff.
This is the so-called white privilege, reserved for queens or consorts of heads of state of officially Catholic countries. At present, they have this privilege:
- Queen Letizia and Queen Emeritus Sofia of Spain.
- Queen Mathilde and Queen Paola of Belgium
- Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg
- Princess Charlene of Monaco
Camilla does not belong to that group. As the consort of the head of state of an Anglican country – and leader of the Anglican Church – protocol requires her to wear black in the presence of the Pope.
It is the same reason why some members of the Windsor family have had to renounce Catholicism to retain their place in the line of succession.
Interestingly, even those who do have the privilege of wearing white sometimes choose not to.
In 2022, for example, Charlene of Monaco opted for a black outfit for her visit to the Vatican, although she introduced details that were out of protocol, such as transparencies in the neckline, bare shoulders and a dark manicure, far from the neutral tones recommended for these meetings.