On Sunday, dignitaries from around the world gathered in Vatican City for the inaugural mass for the newly-elected Pope Leo XIV, and there were plenty of royal pearls and diamonds sparkling in the sunshine for the occasion.
The eyes of the world were once again on St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican on Sunday for the inaugural mass of the newly-elected Pope Leo XIV. In April, royals from across Europe joined the congregation at the funeral mass for Pope Francis. Now, his successor has been elected and inaugurated.
Pope Leo XIV, who was Cardinal Robert Prevost before his election, is the first Pope from the United States. (He was born in Illinois—just like me!) He is also a naturalized citizen of Peru. During his homily on Sunday, Leo reflected on the monumental changes of the last few weeks. “Following the death of Pope Francis, we felt like sheep without a shepherd, yet having received his final blessing on Easter Sunday, and with eyes of faith, hope, and joy, we remembered how the Lord never abandons His people.” He added, “I was chosen, without any merit of my own, and now, with fear and trembling, I come to you as a brother, who desires to be the servant of your faith and your joy, walking with you on the path of God’s love, for he wants us all to be united in one family.”
After the mass, prominent attendees and family members headed inside St. Peter’s Basilica to share their greetings and best wishes with Pope Leo. Among these were the European royals in attendance: the King and Queen of Spain, the King and Queen of the Belgians, the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess of Luxembourg, the Prince and Princess of Monaco, the Queen of the Netherlands, the Hereditary Prince and Hereditary Princess of Liechtenstein, the Crown Princess of Sweden, and the Duke of Edinburgh.
King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain were among the first royals to greet Pope Leo inside the basilica. King Felipe was in full uniform with orders and decorations for the inauguration mass, while Queen Letizia wore a white dress and veil. She’s one of a select group of Catholic royal women who have historically been granted the privilege du blanc—the right to wear white during papal audiences. These include the spouses of the sovereigns of Belgium, Luxembourg, Monaco, and Spain, as well as princesses from the House of Savoy, the dynasty that once ruled Italy.
The tradition hearkens back to a time when there was an extremely rigid dress code for meetings with the pope, which required that all women attending audiences must wear black gowns and head coverings. Those requirements have been relaxed considerably, especially in recent years, but you’ll often see several royal ladies (the Queen of Spain, the Queen of the Belgians, the Grand Duchess of Luxembourg, and the Princess of Monaco) wearing white dresses and veils at the Vatican as part of the old tradition.
For the inaugural mass, Queen Letizia kept her jewelry simple, wearing a classic pair of diamond and pearl drop earrings from her collection. The earrings, which have bezel-set diamond studs, come from Ansorena. She also wore her Coreterno ring on the index finger of her left hand.
King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of the Belgians wore similar attire for the mass: military uniform and decorations for Philippe and a white Christian Dior ensemble with a veil for Mathilde.
Queen Mathilde also wore a sentimental jewelry accessory for the mass: a pair of diamond and pearl drop earrings that belonged to King Philippe’s late aunt, Queen Fabiola. The Spanish-born Fabiola was an extremely devout Catholic. She wore the earrings often during visits to the Vatican, including a glittering appearance at the last papal coronation, for Pope Paul VI, in 1963.
On that grand occasion, Queen Fabiola wore the diamond and pearl earrings with the Nine Provinces Tiara and the Wolfers Tiara (in its necklace setting).
Baudouin and Fabiola’s nephew, Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg, attended Sunday’s papal inauguration mass with his wife, Grand Duchess Maria Teresa. They too wore the same attire as the Spaniards and the Belgians: uniform and decorations for Henri, white ensemble (from Natan) for Maria Teresa. Her head covering is draped around her neck in this image.
Grand Duchess Maria Teresa accessorized with a gorgeous pair of antique diamond and pearl drop earrings from the Luxembourgish vaults for the mass.
Prince Albert II of Monaco wore a business suit for the inauguration ceremony, while Princess Charlene wore a textured white dress with a white lace veil for the occasion.
Princess Charlene also kept her jewelry simple, wearing small pearl stud earrings and her diamond engagement ring, which was made by Repossi.
Hereditary Prince Alois of Liechtenstein, wearing a business suit, attended the mass with his wife, Hereditary Princess Sophie, who wore a black dress and veil. Although both Alois and Sophie come from Roman Catholic royal families—Sophie is a member of the Bavarian royal family and, notably, is currently second in line for the Jacobite succession (!)—the ladies of the Liechtenstein princely family have not traditionally been afforded the privilege du blanc. Sophie’s husband is also not the reigning prince. Though Alois has been the regent for many years, his father, Hans-Adam II, remains the Prince of Liechtenstein.
Hereditary Princess Sophie also kept her visible jewelry on the minimal side for the mass. She wore pearl drop earrings and a gold watch and bracelets, and she tucked her necklaces into the neckline of her dress.
Representing the Netherlands at the papal inauguration was Queen Máxima. Though King Willem-Alexander and their three daughters are Protestant, Queen Máxima was raised Catholic and was not required to convert when she married the future King of the Netherlands in 2002. For Sunday’s mass, she wore a black blouse and long skirt with a black veil.
She wore diamonds and pearls with the ensemble, including diamond and pearl drop earrings, a pearl bracelet, and a pearl ring. Her brooch, a nineteenth-century diamond and pearl cluster, is the same one that she recently wore on Remembrance Day in Amsterdam. At the Vatican, she wore the piece with its pear-shaped pearl pendant drop.
King Charles III of the United Kingdom was represented at the inauguration mass by his youngest brother, the Duke of Edinburgh, who wore a business suit for the occasion.
And the King of Sweden sent his eldest daughter and heir, Crown Princess Victoria, as his representative at the inauguration mass. She’s pictured here, wearing a black dress and veil, as she congratulates Pope Leo inside the basilica afterward.
Crown Princess Victoria also wore small, subtle jewelry for the occasion, including a necklace with a small pearl drop. She also pinned her father’s Royal Family Order to her dress.
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