Why Queen Camilla Can't Wear White Around The Pope

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Shortly before Pope Francis, the groundbreaking head of the Catholic Church, died at the age of 88, the beloved pontiff partook in a private meeting with King Charles III and his wife, Queen Consort Camilla Parker Bowles. And although Queen Camilla has worn some inappropriate outfits in the past, she was right on the money when meeting with His Holiness, adhering to tradition by sporting a black, long-sleeved dress. If you weren't aware, Camilla actually can't wear white around the Pope. This may not be too surprising, given the royal family's laundry list of fashion rules. However, the truth about the royal dress code is that it isn't as strict as you'd think, and certain styles many assume are forbidden for royals actually aren't. Rather, Camilla's fashion choice comes down to Catholic tradition.

According to the National Catholic Register, the Vatican requires all women to wear black with long sleeves in the pontiff's presence (though this rule isn't as strictly enforced in modern times, of course). That said, James-Charles Noonan's 1996 book "The Church Visible" clarifies that certain royal women actually do have the privilege of wearing white while meeting with the Pope. According to various reports, the reason Camilla is not extended this privilege is because, like her husband, she is Anglican, not Catholic. But it's actually a bit more complicated than that. To get a better read on the matter, The List consulted Brittany Provance, editor-in-chief of Royal News Network, for her take on why the so-called "privilège du blanc" applies in certain cases and, crucially, why.

The List spoke exclusively to Brittany Provance, editor-in-chief of Royal News Network, who explained that the so-called privilège du blanc is indeed only extended to royal women who are members of the Catholic Church, which obviously rules out Queen Consort Camilla. However, being a royal Catholic woman doesn't automatically give you clearance to wear white in front of His Holiness either. "Queen Maxima of the Netherlands is a practicing Catholic, but as the wife of a Protestant king and kingdom she does not have the right to wear white," Provance pointed out, adding, "The same goes for the Hereditary Princess of Lichtenstein, Sophie, despite being a practicing Catholic and Lichtenstein a Catholic majority principality."

Provance confirmed that there are currently only seven women on Earth who have the privilège du blanc; the reigning Queen Mathilde of Belgium and her mother-in-law, Queen Paola; the reigning Queen Letizia of Spain and her mother-in-law, Queen Sofia; Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg, Princess Marina of Naples, and Princess Charlene of Monaco. According to the expert, Princess Charlene, in particular, was extended the privilege in 2013. "Her predecessor, American actress turned royal Princess Grace, wore black when she visited the Vatican shortly after her marriage in 1957," Provance told us. She also explained that royal women have the option of wearing a tiara or diadem while meeting with the pontiff, though they rarely do. Interestingly enough, though, a black-clad Queen Elizabeth II, Camilla's own mother-in-law, donned a tiara during her audience with Pope John Paul II in 1980.

Speaking of the British monarchy, we pivoted back to Queen Consort Camilla and asked Brittany Provance what guidelines she and her fellow royal women do generally have to abide by outside of the Vatican. It's no secret that Queen Camilla's style has evolved since she joined the royal family — which was somewhat necessary, of course. After all, although Provance noted that Camilla's husband King Charles III has somewhat relaxed the royal dress code since he ascended the throne (His Majesty lifted the apparent ban on dark nail polish and is more welcoming of wedge shoes than his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II, was), plenty of fashion traditions are still honored.

"Though there have been no official rules published by the palace, there are some general fashion directives that the royal women usually practice that are of note. The first is that royal women generally choose brands and designers from their country or from the country they are visiting on an official visit," Provance said. She added that royals aren't allowed to accept free items from designers, so as to avoid the appearance of favoritism, and that while royal fashion obviously tends to be expensive, they can't go overboard with their spending either. Likewise, "Other basic stipulations are that the outfits must be modest, so no short hem lines and no low necklines. Bright colors are often common, so that a royal can be easily visible in a crowd. Hats or fascinators are also required for certain occasions as well," Provance detailed.