Bizarre Reason Why Camilla Couldn’t Wear White When She and Charles Met Pope Francis

Just days before Pope Francis’s death on April 21, King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla had a pleasant meeting with him on April 9. In photos shared by the royal family, Camilla is seen wearing an all-black dress when meeting the church leader. Wearing black, however, was no coincidence. Camilla was banned from wearing white as the dress code dictates that only Queens and Princesses from the Catholic church wear white when meeting the Pope.

According to Tatler, this obscure dress rule is called ‘il privilegio del blanco’, which translates as ‘The Privilege of the White’ (in French, it is known as ‘le privilège du blanc’). The Church of England separated from the Catholic church in 1534. As Camilla is the England’s Head of State’s wife, she could not wear white in her visit to the Vatican.

Although the dress regulation has been optional since the 1980s, the British royals are known to be traditionalists. Additionally, it's also customary for women to wear a lace veil while meeting the church leader. However, Camilla skipped the tradition this time, although she did wear one (albeit a regular black veil) for her meeting with Pope Benedict XVI in 2009. Both Princess Diana and the late Queen Elizabeth also wore veils when greeting Pope John Paul II in 1985 and 1980. The veil rule, however, does not apply to meetings outside the Vatican. This explains why the late Queen wore her signature pastel colored dresses when she met the Pope outside the Vatican.

While Camilla stuck to tradition this time, she famously ditched the dress code during her 2017 visit with Pope Francis. When she accompanied the then-Prince Charles to the Vatican, she wore a beige scarf and coat dress without a veil. Another non-Catholic royal who had ditched the dress code was Princess Charlene, who donned an all white look when she met Pope Benedict XVI in 2013. She did the same in 2016, but in 2022 opted for an all-black ensemble.

Charles and Camilla spoke highly of their private gathering with the late Pope on April 9. As reported by GB News, their statement after the Pope's death read, “The Queen and I remember with particular affection our meetings with His Holiness over the years, and we were greatly moved to have been able to visit him earlier in the month...We send our most heartfelt condolences and profound sympathy to the Church he served with such resolve and to the countless people around the world who, inspired by his life, will be mourning the devastating loss.” Charles, as the ruling monarch, however, cannot attend the Pope's funeral. Prince William instead will be representing the King.