Princess Charlene of Monaco exercised her ‘privilège du blanc’ as she and Prince Albert II were met by Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron at a poignant event in France.
The French president and First Lady were captured warmly greeting the royal couple as they arrived for the meeting ‘At the Roots of Europe for Peace and Unity’ held close to the German border.
Pope Leo XIV delivered an address at the conference on the final day of his four-day visit to France, where he spoke of a ‘new stage’ in the history of ‘contemporary Europe’.
Met with a standing ovation, Pope Leo called for younger Europeans to ‘not give in to the mentality of violence and oppression’ and ‘not be afraid to work tirelessly for the good of your communities, including through political engagement’.
The event in Metz, hometown of Robert Schuman, a founding father of the European Union, saw Princess Charlene and Prince Albert join the French leader in a bid to strengthen ties between European nations.
All European Union heads of state and the heads of European institutions were invited to attend the conference. The French President is also set to join Pope Leo for Mass in the city of Metz later today.
For the occasion, Charlene stepped out in a striking white suit ensemble for the occasion, paired with a statement collar and matching handbag with gold detailing.
The royal mother-of-two’s all-white ensemble was in line with the ‘privilège du blanc” – an exception to the historic dress code that permits only queens and princesses from Catholic countries to wear white when meeting with the Pope.
She is just one of only seven women in the world who have the rare ability to wear white when meeting with the Pope.
Called le privilége du blanc in French or il privilegio del bianco in Italian, the special tradition is extended solely to designated Catholic queens and princesses and is reserved for important events such as private audiences, canonisations, beatifications and special masses.
Normal protocol for papal audiences requires that ladies wear a long black dress with a high collar and long sleeves, and a black mantilla.
In-keeping with this tradition, Brigitte was seen wearing a striking black dress with a gold brooch, and was all smiles as she greeted the Monaco royals for the historic event.
During his address, Pope Leo urged Europe to draw from its Christian roots in a bid to overcome the ‘desire for domination’ driving today’s wars, and also called for a willingness to ‘give up some positions for the greater good of peace’.
The pontiff also called for European unity to fight ‘lies and deciet’.
It comes after over 600,000 Catholics registered to attend the mid-afternoon mass on Paris’s famous Place de la Concorde on September 26, for what was expected to be the biggest event of the Pontiff’s visit to France.
Spectators arrived on the Champs-Élysées before sunrise to try to secure the best view of Pope Leo, who was driven down the boulevard in an open-top popemobile.
Charlene and Albert’s meeting with Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron comes after the Monaco royals welcomed the French president and his wife for the first state dinner with a French leader in more than 40 years last June.
Meanwhile, in March, Princess Charlene and her lookalike daughter exercised their ‘privilege du blanc’ during Pope Leo XIV’s historic visit to Monaco.
The royal mother-daughter duo were joined by Prince Albert alongside young Prince Jacques for the occasion, which saw Pope Leo make his first visit to the European country since his election in May.
Both Charlene and Gabriella wore white in line with the so-called ‘privilege of the white’ – a rare exception to the historic dress code that permits only queens and princesses from Catholic countries to wear white when meeting with the Pope.
For the outing, Charlene, 48, also donned a small brooch with the flags of Monaco and the Vatican, alongside a midi dress that contained lace detailing and a short veil, which she placed over her head in line with the necessary protocol.
While her mother opted for white heels, 11-year-old Gabriella wore white ballet flats, alongside a long coat and the same brooch as her mother.
Arriving by helicopter from Rome, the Pope was greeted by Prince Albert and Princess Charlene at Monte Carlo’s heliport under radiant sunshine.
Just after he arrived at the tiny principality on the French Riviera, Leo condemned what he termed the widening ‘chasms between the poor and the rich’.
In an address in French from the balcony of the Prince’s Palace, the American Pope denounced ‘unjust configurations of power, structures of sin that dig chasms between poor and rich, between the privileged and the rejected, between friends and enemy’.
He added wealth should serve ‘law and justice, especially at a historical moment when displays of force and the logic of omnipotence wound the world and jeopardise peace’, in a clear reference to the growing number of conflicts across the globe.
Some have dubbed Leo the ‘Quiet Pope’ due to his low-key pastoral approach, often prioritising unity, listening and traditional diplomacy.
The pontiff was pictured with Prince Albert at the royal palace, with one image showing a portrait of the ruler’s mother movie star, Grace Kelly.
Bells pealed across the principality to mark Leo’s arrival in the micro-state nestled on the Mediterranean between France and Italy.
Locals gathered outside the palace, many brandishing flags in the red and white of the principality and the yellow and white of the Vatican.
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