Why American Princess Grace Wasn't Allowed to Wear White to Meet Popes Like Daughter-in-Law Princess Charlene
Why American Princess Grace Wasn't Allowed to Wear White to Meet Popes Like Daughter-in-Law Princess Charlene
Janine HenniWed, April 1, 2026 at 5:12 PM UTC
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Princess Grace at the Vatican on June 19, 1959; Princess Grace in Monaco on March 28, 2026Credit: Bettmann; Stephane Cardinale - Corbis/Corbis via Getty -
Princess Charlene exercised "the privilege of the white" to wear white during Pope Leo XIV's visit to Monaco
Despite being Catholic, American actress turned Monaco royal Princess Grace followed a different protocol and wore black when meeting popes during her lifetime
The privilege of wearing white is a rare Vatican honor extended to select Catholic queens and princesses
Princess Grace of Monaco had to follow a different dress code when she met the Pope than her daughter-in-law, Princess Charlene.
On March 28, Princess Charlene, 47, exercised le privilège du blanc, French for "the privilege of the white," when she welcomed Pope Leo XIV for an apostolic visit to Monaco with her husband, Prince Albert, and their twin children, Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella, 11.
Charlene's all-white outfit with a matching lace mantilla reflected the honor that she has of wearing white clothes to meet the Pope, in a papal privilege exclusively extended to designated Catholic queens and princesses.
Decades before, Prince Albert's mother, Princess Grace (known as American actress Grace Kelly before her marriage to Monaco's Prince Rainier), had to follow a different protocol when she met popes.
Pope Pius XII receives Prince Rainier and Princess Grace at Vatican City on May 2, 1957.Credit: Bettmann/Getty
Though Princess Grace was a devout Catholic throughout her life and shared the same faith as her husband, she wore black when she met popes during her lifetime.
The protocol boiled down to the fact that the House of Grimaldi rules Monaco as a principality, not a monarchy, according to fan blog Royal Style Watch. In a strict interpretation of the style guidance, Grace apparently didn't have le privilège du blanc. Princess Grace died at age 52 in 1982, and things changed years later when Charlene became Monaco's next princess consort.
Prince Albert of Monaco and his wife princess Charlene are received by Pope Benedict XVI during a private audience at the Vatican on January 12, 2013.Credit: 2430/GAMMA/Gamma-Rapho via Getty
The South African Olympic swimmer became a Monegasque princess when she married Prince Albert, 68, in July 2011 and notably wore white for her first audience with a pope two years later.
Princess Charlene was bright in white when she and Prince Albert attended an audience with Pope Benedict XVI in January 2013 and she has mostly continued to wear white for papal meetings since, but shook things up in July 2022 by wearing black for an audience with Pope Benedict.
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Prince Albert and Princess Charlene walk through the San Damaso courtyard after their private audience with Pope Francis on July 20, 2022.Credit: Stefano Costantino/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty
Women with le privilège du blanc don't have to choose the hue and the rare distinction is extended to a small club including Queen Letizia of Spain, Queen Mathilde of Belgium, Grand Duchess Stéphanie of Luxembourg, Princess Marina of Naples, as well as two Queens whose husbands are no longer reigning: Queen Sofia of Spain and Queen Paola of Belgium.
As a Catholic, Grand Duchess Stéphanie's mother-in-law Grand Duchess Maria Teresa also still likely holds the privilege following the abdication of her husband, Grand Duke Henri, in October 2025.
In a striking scene during Pope Leo's visit to Monaco, the leader of the Catholic church signed a book before a painting of Princess Grace where she wore a white gown — interpreted by some as her own le privilège du blanc.
Pope Leo XIV, Prince Albert and Princess Charlene of Monaco meet during a private audience in the Prince's Palace of Monaco in Monte Carlo, Monaco, on March 28, 2026.Credit: Alamy
Princess Charlene wasn't the only one to wear white when the Pope came to Monaco over the weekend, as her daughter Princess Gabriella also wore a white outfit.
As Gabriella is just 11, she likely does not have the official privilege of the white and her ensemble likely reflected a relaxation of the rules for children.
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Charlene's white attire even got a shout out on the Princely Palace of Monaco's Instagram page, in a video about le privilège du blanc
"The Privilege of the White," read the caption, translated to English. "During the Holy Father's visit to Monaco, H.S.H. Princess Charlene appeared in white. This choice adheres to a specific Vatican protocol and represents a rare distinction for the Principality—a reflection of the special bond between Monaco and the Holy See."
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