The three royals are allowed to wear white in front of the Pope because they are Catholic Queens and Princesses.They are each one of only seven women in the world who have 'the privilege of the white' – or the ability to wear white when meeting with the Pope.Called le privilége du blanc in French or il privilegio del biacno in Italian, the special tradition is extended solely to designated Catholic queens and princesses and is reserved for important events at the Vatican, such as private audiences, canonisations, beatifications, and special masses.Normal protocol for papal audiences requires that ladies wear a long black dress with a high collar and long sleeves and a black mantilla.
An American woman can, of course, wear whatever she wants.
I seem to recall that some First Ladies wore dark colors, but many wore black to meet with the pontiff. White is not an easy color to wear well when traveling, even if you are a head of state or his spouse.
ReplyDeleteLittleRed1
During Trump 1.0, the First Lady accompanied the President to KSA, she went with her head uncovered. On the return they went to the Vatican, met with the Pope, and she had a hat and veil.
ReplyDeleteThe Immaculate Conception.
ReplyDeleteThe Blessed Virgin Mary.
Our Lady of Lourdes was dressed all in white.
St Bernadette was to describe the figure as a woman.
“dressed in a white robe, girded at the waist with a blue ribbon. She wore upon her head a white veil which gave just a glimpse of hair. Her feet were bare but covered by the last folds of her robe and a yellow rose was upon each of them. She held on her right arm a rosary of white beads with a chain of gold shining like the two roses on her feet.”
At the Papal funeral, Catholic royals also got seated in the front row of the lay VIP section, non catholic royals second row, others behind.
ReplyDeleteThe Church's affection for royalty is unsurprising. The political alliance between the Lords Temporal and Spiritual goes back more than a thousand years; Charles I, though a Protestant, still insisted on appointing bishops to help him govern. ("No bishop, no king," he is supposed to have said.) The Church lent legitimacy and authority, and in return received practical support and cooperation. Even in the era of the great religious wars, the loyalty of the Catholic monarchs was crucial.
ReplyDeleteAmericans, however, have an opposite structural philosophical commitment where monarchs are concerned.
Americans, however, have an opposite structural philosophical commitment where monarchs are concerned.
ReplyDeleteThat used to be the case. Today, and for some years, the Left and the Progressive-Democratic Party have just been a collection of monarchists masquerading themselves as Liberals.
Eric Hines