When Camilla, then Duchess of Cornwall, met Pope Benedict XVI in 2009, she observed traditional Vatican dress codes by wearing a black long-sleeved dress and a lace mantilla. By the time she met Pope Francis in 2017, her outfit, a pale gold coatdress without a veil, reflected the Vatican’s more relaxed approach to dress protocol. However, during her final visit to Pope Francis in 2025 as Queen Consort, Camilla reverted to black attire out of respect for the customs reserved for non-Catholic royals.
At Pope Francis’ funeral in 2025, Catholic mourning traditions were visibly upheld, with royals such as Queen Letizia, Princess Charlene, and Queen Rania dressed in black veils and dresses. Only a select few Catholic royals, including Queen Mathilde and Grand Duchess María Teresa, are granted the privilege of wearing white at specific papal audiences, a tradition known as the privilège du blanc. However, this privilege does not extend to funerals.
These dress codes highlight the complex blend of faith, diplomacy, and royal protocol, serving as visual symbols of respect, identity, and hierarchical status within the Vatican’s centuries-old traditions.
