Exclusive: When royal women meet the Pope, they adhere to a distinctive dress code rooted in tradition and respect….Read More 👇

Queen Camilla followed protocol when meeting Pope Francis this week.

When Queen Camilla had an audience with Pope Francis at the Vatican this week alongside husband King Charles, she wore black, as is customary for royal consorts and U.S. First Ladies to do.

After previously announcing they would no longer see the Pope following his recent hospitalization and subsequent recovery, the King and Queen made a surprise visit to have an audience with him on April 9, which happened to be their 20th wedding anniversary. This marked the first time Camilla had seen the leader of the Catholic church since her husband took the throne in September 2022, and she stuck to the “nuanced rule” (per People) of wearing black, as she “doesn’t have permission to wear white for these meetings,” the outlet added.

A little known royal fashion rule dictates who does: per People, there are only seven women in the world who may wear white around the Pope. The tradition, called “il privilegio del bianco” in Italian and “le privil ge du blanc” in French (which People reported translates in English to “the privilege of the white”) is extended exclusively to designated Catholic queens and princesses.

The protocol states that “those with permission can wear white for papal events like private audiences, canonizations, beatifications, and special masses, and they usually choose to do so,” People reported.

The “small club” includes royals like Princess Charlene of Monaco, Queen Letizia of Spain, Queen Mathilde of Belgium, Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg, and Princess Marina of Naples. It also includes two queens whose husbands are no longer reigning—Queen Sofia of Spain and Queen Paola of Belgium.

For example, Queen Mathilde recently exercised her ability to wear white when she met the Pope last September, and Princess Charlene—who, with her husband Prince Albert, regularly visits Vatican City—has worn white and black for past audiences with the religious leader.

Though Wednesday’s private meeting was the first time Camilla had met Pope Francis since Charles took the throne, it wasn’t the first time she had met him. Most recently, she interacted with the Pope during a 2017 visit to Italy, but that time she bucked protocol, wearing a beige dress and a tan scarf instead of the traditionally accepted black outfit.