Princess Charlene of Monaco invoked her “privilège du blanc” as she and Prince Albert II were welcomed by French President Emmanuel Macron and First Lady Brigitte Macron at a significant event in France.
The French presidential couple warmly greeted the Monaco royals on their arrival for the “At the Roots of Europe for Peace and Unity” meeting in Metz, near the German border.
Pope Leo XIV addressed the gathering on the final day of his four-day trip to France, speaking of a “new stage” in the story of “contemporary Europe”.
Welcomed with a standing ovation, the Pope urged younger Europeans not to “give in to the mentality of violence and oppression”. He also encouraged them “not to be afraid to work tirelessly for the good of your communities, including through political engagement”.
The Metz meeting, held in the birthplace of Robert Schuman, one of the European Union’s founding figures, brought together Princess Charlene, 48, Prince Albert, 68, and the French president in an effort to reinforce cooperation across Europe.
All European Union heads of state, along with leaders of European institutions, were invited to the conference. Macron, 48, is also due to attend Mass with Pope Leo in Metz later in the day.
Charlene made a striking entrance in a white trouser suit, styling the look with a dramatic statement collar and a coordinating handbag finished with gold details.
The royal’s head-to-toe white outfit reflected the “privilège du blanc”, a historic exception that allows queens and princesses from Catholic nations to wear white in the presence of the Pope.
Emmanuel Macron (L) and his wife Brigitte (R) have welcomed Prince Albert II of Monaco and Princess Charlene of Monaco to a historic meeting in Metz, France
The French president and his wife were captured warmly greeting the royal couple as they arrived for the meeting “At the Roots of Europe for Peace and Unity” in the north-east city located close to the German border
For the occasion, Charlene exercised her “privilège du blanc” as she stepped out in a striking white suit ensemble for the occasion, paired with a statement collar and matching handbag with gold detailing
Charlene is among fewer than 10 women worldwide who are allowed to wear white when meeting the Pope.
Known as le privilège du blanc in French and il privilegio del bianco in Italian, the tradition is reserved for select Catholic queens and princesses. It may be observed during major occasions including private audiences, canonisations, beatifications and special Masses.
Under the usual dress code for papal audiences, women are expected to wear a long black dress with a high neckline and full-length sleeves, together with a black mantilla.
Brigitte Macron, 73, followed the customary palette in an elegant black dress accented by a gold brooch. Smiling broadly, she welcomed the Monaco royals to the landmark gathering.
In his speech, Pope Leo called on Europe to reconnect with its Christian heritage as it confronts the “desire for domination” behind modern conflicts. He also urged leaders to be prepared to “give up some positions for the greater good of peace”.
The pontiff further appealed for European solidarity in confronting “lies and deceit”.
The conference followed the registration of more than 600,000 Catholics for an afternoon Mass at Paris’s Place de la Concorde on September 26, expected to be the largest event of Pope Leo’s French visit.
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Crowds began gathering on the Champs-Élysées before dawn in the hope of securing a clear view of the Pope as he travelled along the boulevard in an open-top popemobile.
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 bring European nations together
All EU heads of state and the heads of European institutions were invited to attend the conference, while the French president is also set to join Pope Leo for Mass in the city of Metz later today
Pope Leo XIV delivered an address at the high-profile conference on the final day of his four-day French visit, where he spoke of a ‘new stage’ in the history of ‘contemporary Europe’
Prince Albert II of Monaco and Princess Charlene arrive at the event held on the last day of the Pope’s visit to France
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, Gabriella, exercised their ‘privilège 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.
For the outing, Charlene 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 Monaco and the yellow and white of the Vatican.