The “privilege of the white” is a rare Vatican honor allowing only seven Catholic queens and princesses to wear white when meeting the Pope. Known as le privilège du blanc or il privilegio del bianco, it highlights their special status during formal Vatican occasions like private audiences, canonizations, and special masses.
Current holders include Queen Sofia and Queen Letizia of Spain, Queen Paola and Queen Mathilde of Belgium, Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg, Princess Marina of Naples, and Princess Charlene of Monaco. To qualify, women are usually consorts or reigning queens of historically recognized “Most Catholic” monarchies, and the privilege is generally hereditary unless revoked.
Princess Charlene, who converted to Catholicism before marrying Prince Albert, has exercised the privilege, most recently during a papal visit to Monaco. However, royal women don’t always use it—Charlene wore black at Pope Francis’s 2013 inauguration mass, and Queen Letizia has sometimes skipped traditional elements like the white mantilla.
The honor is exclusive to Catholic royalty; non-royal leaders’ spouses and consorts of non-Catholic monarchs are excluded. Occasional breaches, like Cherie Blair wearing white in 2003 or Queen Elizabeth II choosing lavender in 2014, have sparked debate.
While rare and symbolic, the privilege’s application varies, balancing tradition with personal or diplomatic choices.