News Summary R O Y A L B L O G. N L: Vatican

Pope Francis on Monday welcomed Belgium’s King Philip and Queen Mathilde to the Vatican. It was the first meeting between the pontiff, who this week marks his second full year as head of the Roman Catholic Church, and the Belgian royal couple. The meeting was originally scheduled for December of last year, but the King had to cancel that appointment after the death of his aunt Queen Fabiola.

Queen Mathilde was dressed in white, an ancient right called the ‘privelège du blanc’ – the privilege to wear white – accorded only to reigning Catholic monarchs, and Catholic spouses of Catholic monarchs.

Hence the white of Spain’s queens Letizia and Sofia during papal audiences, and the black of queens Elizabeth and Beatrix – both non-Catholic monarchs. Dutch Queen Máxima would have to wear black on a visit to the pope. Although she is Catholic herself, her husband King Willem-Alexander is not. That means she does not have the privilege to wear white.

* Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg is also allowed to dress in white

Mathilde drew extra attention because of the crutches she has to use. “I am sorry she is injured”, Pope Francis quipped when he met the queen of the Belgians. When she boarded the plane from Brussels to Rome the wheelchair she has been using for longer distances was loaded on the plane as well. But Mathilde has refused to alter her agenda because of her knee injury.

According to Vatican media the Pope and the royal couple, who met for the better part of half an hour, discussed immigration, youth education and the future of Europe. As is customary the royal visitors also had presents for Francis. They brought him a ceramic Nativity scene and a signed photo of themselves. The pope in turn gave them a copy of "Evangelii Gaudium" and a commemorative medal.

© RB; Photos: Royal Palace; MPE

Prince Jaime de Bourbon de Parme sees his new job as Dutch ambassador to the Holy See as a major challenge. ”I am an entrepreneur within the government. I see lots of possibilities”, Jaime said in an interview with Dutch public television Tuesday evening.

The Prince was appointed to the prestigeous post earlier this year and expects to hand his credentials to Pope Francis in October. He described his position at the Vatican as “one of the most interesting places in the world." The Vatican State may be small, but it has 1,2 billion ‘followers’ the Prince said.

Prince Jaime, who served the last few years as a special envoy for natural resources, called himself a career diplomat. He has already been with the State Department (Ministery of Foreign Affairs) for 13 years. He applied for a position “because I want to make a difference in the world."

In the interview he also talked about his two grandfathers, Prince Xavier of Bourbon-Parma and Prince Bernhard. He praised Prince Xavier's commitment to conflict prevention, as seen in the First World War when he tried to open negotiations between Austria-Hungary (where his sister Zita was married to Emperor Karl) and the Allies. In World War II, Xavier ended up in Nazi concentration camp Dachau. “He kept the faith, the nazi’s couldn’t take from him.”

Prince Bernhard was a "man figure" as Jaime described him. “Very authentic”, but unlike Jaime someone who did not shy away from conflict. ,”He was committed to the preservation of nature. I think it's great that he has co-founder of the World Wildlife Fund”, Prince Jaime said.

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