by Enrica Roddolo
The “privilege” belongs to Catholic princesses and queens, but for the private visit, Charlene of Monaco chose a black dress
A rosary cross around her neck, very short hair and a black dress, Charlene was received by Pope Francis with Prince Albert of Monaco. “A purely private audience,” it says from the Palais de Monaco to the Corriere. “No official announcement on the agenda”. And indeed, the princess, who would only be entitled to dress in white in front of the Holy Father, as only a handful of princesses and queens of Europe would have done (as she had done during the official visit in 2016), this time chose a plain black dress. And a veil on his head. And above all, that cross on her chest – which we had already seen the princess wear during the long illness she was being treated in South Africa.
Not Charlene’s first visit to the Vatican with Prince Albert. After the wedding in 2011, they had Pope Benedict XVI. actually met in 2013 and visited Pope Francis several times.
As for the white dress, a right or rather a privilege – the privilege of white according to the protocol – belongs only to the queens of the Catholic faith, like Queen Emeritus Sofia or Queen Letizia of Spain. It is no coincidence that Queen Elizabeth wore lilacs when she visited the Holy Father Francis with Prince Philip in 2014.
A white dress that would also belong to Charlène when she converted to Catholicism for her marriage to Prince Albert II. But Wednesday’s meeting with Pope Francis was purely private.
One can imagine that the princes thanked the Holy Father for his support and prayers during the long difficult months. Months ago, the Holy Father’s envoy was received at the Rock of Monaco, officially due to the very close secular ties between the Principality, founded in 1297 by the Genoese Francesco «Malizia» Grimaldi, and the Holy See.
“We are all relieved that Charlene is now slowly regaining possession of her life,” the Prince told Corriere on the eve of the Monaco Summer Balls, which returned after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic.
July 22, 2022 (change July 22, 2022 | 15:21)
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