A highlight of the itinerary will see Pope Leo inaugurate the recently completed Tower of Jesus Christ spire at the Basílica de la Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the architect Antoni Gaudí’s death.
In a mark of respect for His Holiness, Princess Leonor and Infanta Sofia dressed in head-to-toe black for the audience. It is custom for the majority of royal women to wear the colour when meeting with the Pope.
Notably exempt was their mother, Queen Letizia, who as the Queen of a Catholic country, she is one of only eight royal women permitted to wear white when meeting with the Pope. Known as ‘privilège du blanc’, the rule exempts queens and consorts of specific countries from the traditional expectations of wearing black on such occasions.
King Felipe and Queen Letizia were joined by their daughters, Infanta Sofia (far left) and Princess Leonor (second from left) for the formal reception at the Royal Palace in Madrid
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In addition to Queen Letizia, the privilège du blanc is bestowed upon the Queen of Belgium, the Grand Duchess of Luxembourg (Grand Duchess Stéphanie recently made her debut in white upon a meeting with the Pope), the Princess of Monaco and the princesses of the House of Savoy.
Two former Queens, whose husbands no longer reign, are also permitted to wear white: Queen Paola of Belgium and Queen Sofia of Spain – as such, it is likely that Grand Duchess Maria Teresa also still possesses the privilege. The first queen to make use of the exception was reportedly Victoria Eugenia of Spain, during a private conversation with Pope Pius XI in 1923.
The Privilege does not mean that queens and princesses from Catholic countries are obligated to wear white, however. When Princess Charlene met Pope Benedict XVI in 2013, she donned an all-white look – the first time that any Monégasque princess had done so. She did the same in 2016, though she opted for all-black in 2022.