Only a handful of women allowed to wear white to Pope Leo XIV's inauguration— here's why everyone else must dress in black

New York Post

18-05-2025

Pope Leo XIV's inauguration ceremony took place in Vatican City earlier today.
Many were in attendance, and as tradition goes — when a person is in the presence of a pope, they dress in black, except for Queen Letizia of Spain, who is one of seven women in the world who were granted permission to wear white around the head of the Catholic Church.
The privilège du blanc, which translates to privilege of white, is a custom in the Catholic Church that appoints a select group of royal Catholic women to wear white instead of the customary black.
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Black garments signify 'humility and the desire to remain unnoticed,' Dr. Taylor Marshall explained on X (formerly Twitter).
When in the Pope's presence, typically everyone must wear black.
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Women must specifically wear black attire that covers their knees and long sleeves that cover their shoulders. They must also cover their chest to prevent any cleavage from potentially showing.
In addition to Queen Letizia of Spain — the six other women who are the exception to this rule are Princess Charlene of Monaco, Queen Sofía of Spain, Queen Paola and Queen Mathilde of Belgium, Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg and Princess Marina of Naples.
They are the only ones to have privilège du blanc, according to Town & Country.
'It's a reminder that the Catholic Church holds high standards for the attire of the laity and recognizes Catholic monarchs as integral to Christendom,' Marshall said in his tweet.
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These women are a part of a small group who are the only ones allowed to wear white in the pope's presence.
AFP via Getty Images
'Le Privilège du Blanc isn't just about white dresses; it's about history, influence, and remains an essential reminder of the history (and future) of Christendom.'
Queen Letizia of Spain was seen wearing white during a private visit with Pope Francis back in June 2014 — and of course, Pope Leo XIV's inauguration wasn't any different.
At the ceremony, she donned a stunning white long-sleeved tea-length dress with an asymmetrical draped neckline from Redondo Brand, nude Magrit heels, Ansorena1845 pearl drop earrings, a small white square purse, complete with a lace veil over her head, according to WWD.
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Queen Letizia of Spain looked elegant at the Sunday ceremony.
Getty Images
She was joined by Princess Charlene of Monaco and Queen Mathilde of Belgium, who were also wearing white at Sunday's ceremony.
Tens of thousands of people were in attendance at Vatican City, including Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-Louisiana and other members of Congress.