There is a very specific dress code for heads of states and their spouses when receiving a papal audience at the Vatican.
Protocol requires that women wear a mantilla or hat. And unless you're a Catholic monarch, you'd better be dressed in black.
The United States
Protocol requires that women wear a mantilla or hat. And unless you're a Catholic monarch, you'd better be dressed in black.
The United States
Barack and Michelle Obama with Pope Benedict XVI, 10 July 2009
Laura Bush with Pope Benedict XVI, 9 February 2006
George and Laura Bush with Pope John Paul II, 4 June 2004
Bill and Hillary Clinton with Pope John Paul II, 2 June 1994
Ronald and Nancy Reagan with Pope John Paul II, 7 June 1987
First Lady Betty Ford at the Vatican
with President Gerald Ford to meet Pope Paul VI, 3 June 1975
Richard and Pat Nixon with Pope Paul VI, 29 September 1970
Jacqueline Kennedy with Pope Paul VI, July 2, 1963
Jacqueline Kennedy with Pope John XXIII, 11 March 1962
The United Kingdom
Queen Elizabeth with Pope John Paul II, 17 October 2000
Queen Elizabeth with Pope John Paul II, 17 October 1980
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip
with Pope John XXIII, 5 May 1961
Baroness Thatcher with Pope Benedict XVI, 27 May 2009
Baroness Thatcher with Pope John Paul II, 1980
Margaret Thatcher with Pope Paul VI, June 1977
The First Wife: Prince Charles and Princess Diana
with Pope John Paul II, April 1985
And the Mistress/2nd Wife: Prince Charles and Camilla
with Pope Benedict XVI, 28 April 2009
Catholic Monarchs (Europe): Privilège du blanc
Henri and Maria Teresa, Grand Duke and Duchess of Luxembourg
and their daughter, Princess Alexandria
with Pope Benedict XVI, 8 May 2006
Queen Paola of Belgium on her way to see
Pope Benedict XVI, 10 October 2009
Queen Paola of Belgium (again) with Pope Benedict XVI
and King Albert, 10 October 2009
Belgium's Queen Paola and King Albert II
with John Paul II, 15 May 1998
Queen Sofia of Spain (right) at Pope Benedict XVI's
first mass as Pontiff, 24 April 2005.
The Grand Duchess of Luxembourg is on the left.
Italian Crown Prince, Umberto of Italy
and the Crown Princess, Marie Jose,
at the Coronation of Pope Pius XII, 30 March 1939
Other Nations
Mexico, South Africa, India, Britain, Sweden, EU
Pope Benedict XVI with Margarita Zavala, wife of Mexican President Felipe Calderon, Nompumelelo Mantuli, wife of South African President Jacob Zuma, Gursharan Kaur, wife of Prime Minister of India Manmohan Singh, Sarah Brown, wife of British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Filippa Reinfeldt, wife of Swedish Prime Minster Fredrik Reinfeldt, Maria Margarita Barroso, wife of EU President Jose Manuel Barroso, Juliana Olabintan Nwanze, wife of International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) president Kanayo Nwanze during a private audience on July 8, 2009
Second photo of the Holy Father with the First Ladies
(taken at a meeting during the G8 Summit)
Argentina
Eva Peron, First Lady of Argentina,
leaving the Vatican following an audience
with Pope Pius XII, 29 June 1947
Austria
Pope Benedict with President Fischer
and his wife, Margit, 5 October 2006
Brazil
President of Brazil, Luiz Ignacio Lula da Silva
and First Lady Marisa Leticia Lula da Silva
with Pope Benedict XVI, 13 November 2008
Canada
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper
and his wife, Laureen Harper,
and children with Pope Benedict XVI, 30 June 2009
Colombia
The then Colombian President, Álvaro Uribe Vélez
and his wife, Lina María Moreno Mejía,
with Pope Benedict XVI, 30 April 2009
Cyprus
President Demetris Christofias and his wife Elsie
with Pope Benedict XVI, 27 March 2009
Czech Republic
Czech Prime Minister Jan Fischer and his wife
with Pope Benedict XVI, 14 November 2009
El Salvador
President of El Salvador, Elias Antonio Saca Gonzalez
and his wife Ana Ligia Mixco Sol de Saca with Pope Benedict XVI, 7 May 2009
France
French Prime Minister Francois Fillon
and his wife Penelope (and sons)
with Pope Benedict XVI, 10 October 2009
The then French President, Jacques Chirac and his wife Bernadette
with Pope John Paul II, 20 January 1996
The then French President, Jacques Chirac and his wife Bernadette
with Pope John Paul II, 20 January 1996
Former French Prime Minister, Edouard Balladur
and his wife, Marie-Josèphe Delacour
with Pope John Paul II, 27 November 1993
Gabon
Pope Benedict XVI with President Ali Ben Bongo
and his wife, 10 December 2009
Germany
Former President Horst Koehler and his wife Eva Luisa
with Pope Benedict XVI, 5 December 2009
The then First Lady of Germany, Eva Luisa Koehler
in a meeting with Pope Benedict XVI, 18 November 2006
Greece
Pope Benedict XVI with Greek President Papoulias
and his wife Mey Panou, 28 January 2006
Iraq
Prime Minister Ayad Allawi and his wife, Thana,
with Pope John Paul II, 2004
Ireland
President of Ireland, Sean Thomas O’Kelly
and his wife, Mary Kate Ryan, received by Pope Pius XII.
Israel
Italy
with Pope Benedict XVI 13 October 2006
and family, October 28, 2004
Jordan
Queen Rania with Pope Benedict XVI, 9 February 2007
Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri and his wife, Lara
with Pope Benedict XVI, 20 February 2010
Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora and his wife Huda Bsat
with Pope Benedict XVI 16 February 2006
with Pope Benedict XVI 16 February 2006
Lesotho
King Letsie III and Queen Karabo of Lesotho
with Pope John-Paul II, 29 February 2000
Lithuania
and his wife, Alma Adamkienė, 28 April 2007
Malta
President George Abela of Malta and his wife Margaret
with Pope Benedict XVI 18 June 2009
Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi and his wife Kate
with Pope Benedict XVI, 18 January 2007
Mexico
Pope Benedict XVI with Margarita Zavala
(wife of Mexico's President Felipe Calderon), 19 December 2007
Monaco
Princess Grace Kelly with Pope Pius XII, 6 May 1957
with Pope John XXIII, 18 June 1959
(video footage here)
Montenegro
with Pope Benedict XVI, 14 December 2009
Nicaragua
and his wife, Lila Abaunza, 15 May 2006
Norway
with Pope John Paul II, 25 October 2001
Paraguay
(wife of Paraguay's President Duarte Frutos), 29 October 2007
Philippines
Poland
with Pope Benedict XVI, 18 May 2009
Maria and Lech Kaczynski (again)
with Pope Benedict XVI, 26 January 2006
with Pope John-Paul II, 8 April 2000
Portugal
with Pope Benedict XVI 28 June 2008
with former President Jorge Sampaio
and Pope John Paul II, 12 November 2004
Spain
with Pope John Paul II
28 June 2004
29 September 1995
Suriname
and his wife Lisbeth, 20 November 2009
Sweden
13 November 1999
Thailand
King Bhumipol and Queen Sirikit of Thailand
with Pope John XXIII, 1960.
(for video footage see here)
A second photo of King Bhumipol
and Queen Sirikit with Pope John XXIII
Ukraine
Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko
with Pope Benedict, 16 October 2009
Ukrainian President Victor Yushchenko
and his wife Kateryna Mykhailiva Yushchenko
with Pope Benedict XVI, 1 June 2009
wow! Awesome. I had seen the ones with the American 1st Ladies but not the other countries. One of the biggest reasons I started wearing a mantilla is because people do so in the presence of the Pope. If people do so for the Pope than it must be an important part of the Church, but imagine when you are the presence of Christ. Christ is even more important than the Pope, yet no one covers their heads for him. Makes one think.
ReplyDeleteI agree with deltaflute!
ReplyDeleteThank you for posting all these pictures. Jacqueline Kennedy and Grace Kelly are unsurpassed in beauty, dignity and class. Wearing one's hair back or off the face seems to look better with the veil, as well as the longer skirt / dress. Shorter dresses aren't flattering to the older / heavier set. Plus it's more awkward to sit properly with a shorter skirt.
ReplyDeleteAwesome collection of photos. Yes, Jackie looks so lovely and Grace Kelly....wow. If it is protocol to veil while visiting the Pope then by all means it makes absolute sense to veil in the presence of our Lord. Thanks for posting.
ReplyDeleteOur Catholic Telegraph diocese newspapaper showed a picture of Michelle Obama with her veil when she was visiting the Holy Father. It is so nice to see these photots. Thanks for putting them together.
ReplyDeleteThe photos are lovely. And it is beautiful to see the tradition continued. I also like to see veils in church. But it is an option and I don't like women being judged if they do not wear one. And if they do, the tradition should be understood. I know a very judgemental lady who wears her veil incorrectly. She walks into church and puts her veil on before mass and takes it off after mass. The veil, if it is going to be worn, should be on before one enters the church and taken off afterwards.
ReplyDelete