Queen Camilla Channels Queen Elizabeth in Elegant Look With Black Veil for Historic Vatican Visit
A moment of historic unity between Britain and the Vatican took an unexpected turn when Queen Camilla’s attire became the focus of worldwide attention. On October 23, 2025, King Charles III and Queen Camilla joined Pope Leo XIV for a prayer service inside the Sistine Chapel — the first such public act between a reigning British monarch and a pope in nearly 500 years.
The royal couple’s presence carried immense symbolic weight. King Charles, dressed in a tailored blue suit, white shirt, and coordinating pocket square, represented reconciliation between the Anglican and Catholic churches — a rift that began in 1534 under Henry VIII. But while the King’s understated look reflected the solemn tone, Queen Camilla’s ensemble quickly stole the spotlight.
In keeping with Vatican tradition, women attending papal audiences are required to wear modest black attire with sleeves, paired with a black mantilla — a lace or silk veil covering the head. The 78-year-old Queen adhered to protocol, arriving in a custom black Fiona Clare dress and a dramatic Philip Treacy mantilla, reminiscent of the late Queen Elizabeth II’s papal audience ensembles.
Her decision to wear black carried deeper meaning. Under the Vatican’s “privilege of the white” rule, only queens and princesses from Catholic nations — such as Queen Letizia of Spain and Princess Charlene of Monaco — may wear white in the Pope’s presence. As the British monarch’s consort and a member of the Anglican faith, Camilla honored this centuries-old custom by dressing in mourning black from head to toe.
Adding sentiment to her ensemble, she wore a Georgian cross-shaped brooch, once owned by Queen Elizabeth II and valued at approximately $53,000. The piece, set with transparent topaz and diamonds, was described by jeweler Maxwell Stone as “a deeply sentimental piece from the royal vault.” Camilla first wore the brooch at Christmas 2023 as a tribute to her late mother-in-law.
Despite the dignity of the occasion, her elaborate headpiece soon became the center of online controversy — a topic that would eclipse even the meeting’s historic purpose.