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Le privilège du blanc (Italian: Il privilegio del bianco) is a French term meaning "the privilege of the white" used for a Catholic tradition whereby certain designated Catholic queens and princesses are permitted to wear a white dress and white veil during an audience with the Pope.
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The Prefecture of the Pontifical Household sometimes issues advanced instructions when the privilege may be used, such as during papal audiences, papal coronations, significant liturgical events or inaugural masses of the Pope within the Vatican.
A Catholic princess or queen retains the privilege at the discretion of the Pope, by which she remains a Catholic in good public standing; or married to another Catholic monarch, or simply granted by the Pope at his dispensation. A Catholic royal may also choose to freely exercise the privilege depending on the importance of occasion, termed as "declining the privilege" and does not negate her privilege should she choose to wear black garments at certain points of Papal audiences.
History
In the Roman Catholic tradition, black garments signify both virtues of piety and humility. Protocol for papal audiences formerly required that women wear a long black dress with a high collar and long sleeves, and a black mantilla.
Certain Catholic queens and princesses have traditionally been exempted from wearing black. The Queens of Italy, Belgium, and Spain, the Grand Duchess of Luxembourg, and the princesses of the House of Savoy have been permitted to wear a white dress and white veil for a papal audience.
The privilege is not used by the wives of all Catholic monarchs or by the wives of non-Catholic monarchs. Even though they are Catholics, it is not accorded to the Queen of Lesotho or the Princess of Liechtenstein. The privilege is also not accorded to Queen Máxima of the Netherlands, who is the Catholic wife of the Protestant King Willem-Alexander.
List of eligibility
The following living ladies are currently eligible for the privilege:
In recent years
Marina, Princess of Naples, wife of the Head of the House of Savoy, Vittorio Emanuele, Prince of Naples, used the privilege on 18 May 2003 during the Mass for the birthday anniversary of Pope John Paul II.
For the first time in Monégasque history on 12 January 2013, Charlene, Princess of Monaco, used the privilege in an audience with Pope Benedict XVI. The Holy See Press Office later issued a press release stating that "in accordance with prescribed ceremonial of the Vatican for Catholic Sovereigns, the Princess (of Monaco) was allowed to dress in white." Charlene used the privilege again on 18 January 2016 when visiting Pope Francis as part of an official state visit to the Vatican with her husband, Albert II, Prince of Monaco.
Cherie Blair (wife of then-Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Tony Blair) was heavily criticised for wearing white garments when visiting Pope Benedict XVI on 28 April 2006. Blair was speaking at a Vatican conference on children and youth. Pope Benedict, hearing she was at the Vatican, requested she meet with him, only giving her a few minutes notice and forcing her to rush in her day clothes to accommodate the Pope's request.
List of occasions used
The privilège du blanc is not used for every meeting with the Pope, but most often only reserved for the most important occasions at the Vatican and remains at the discretion to follow by the royal person, sometimes through invitation by the Prefect of Pontifical Household. The privilege, however is retained at the dispensation of the Pope.
Among the occasions when the privilège du blanc has been used are the following: