Originally posted by helleniki+Jul 5th, 2004 - 6:38 am--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (helleniki @ Jul 5th, 2004 - 6:38 am)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-A.C.C.@Jun 29th, 2004 - 5:11 pm
The dress protocal is as follow:
The Catholic Queens of Belgium and Spain, the Grand Duchess of Luxembourg, the Princesses of Savoia, and the Archduchesses of Habsburg have the priveledge du blanc, which means they are allowed to wear white to the Vatican.
All other Queens and Princesses and other Royals repsectively wear black no matter if you are Catholic or any other sect of Christianity (this is why Letizia, although a Catholic Crown Princess of Spain wore black, but when she becomes Queen, she will be able to wear white).
Queen Rania on visiting the Vatican wore a silvery gray dress and mantilla. She probably did not wear black because she is not a Christian.
On your first visit to the Pope, you dress in full-gala as we saw with the Crown Prince and Crown Princess of Spain yesterday, which for men is unifrom or white-tie and for ladies is gowns, tiaras with mantillas attached, or if a Spanish Royal lady, a Peineta and Mantilla. Both men and women wear their full orders. On following visits to the same Pope, I believe you do not dress in full-gala. Yet when a new Pope is chosen, you dress again in full-gala on meeting him. The only Royals I believe to break that rule and not dress in full-gala on their first time meeting Pope John Paul II are Prince Charles and Princess Diana (although that might not have been his first time metting Pope John Paul) and I believe King Albert and Queen Paola of Belgium ( although that might not have been their first time meeting Pope John Paul).