Princess Charlene is completely back in the royal spotlight, performing public duties without any traces of health issues anymore. And we're happy to see her back in good shape.
After joining her husband to the Red Cross Ball Gala on Monday, July 18, in Monte Carlo, two days later, on July 20, Wednesday, she accompanied the Sovereign Prince to Vatican City in Rome, Italy, for a private audience with Pope Francis.
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The Sovereign Prince couple in Vatican ©Eric Mathon |
Their Serene Highnesses were seen holding hands as they walked to St. Peter's Square to meet the Pope in the Basilica. They were guided by the Vatican officials to the Apostolic Library where Roman Pontiff was waiting.
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| The Sovereign Prince couple in Vatican ©Eric Mathon |
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| The Sovereign Prince couple in Vatican ©Eric Mathon/Vatican Media |
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The State of Vatican has a dress code implemented when attending a private audience with the Pope.
Women are required to wear a black dress (length should be below the knee) and a black veil. However, there are instances when women are permitted to wear all-white attire.
Princess Charlene is one of just seven women given the privilege of wearing a white outfit when meeting the Pope. It is called "il privilegio del biacno" in Italian, a privilege granted solely to Catholic queens and princesses and is usually reserved for important events at the Vatican — such as private audiences, canonizations, beatifications, and special masses.
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| Meet and greet with Pope Francis ©Eric Mathon/Vatican Media |
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| ©Eric Mathon/Vatican Media |
Princess Charlene already wore a white ensemble in the previous audiences with the Pope, however, for their Wednesday trip, she opted to wear black, which is a general dress code for women when meeting the Roman Pontiff.
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| The Sovereign Prince couple with Pope Francis ©Eric Mathon/Vatican Media |
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| ©Eric Mathon/Vatican Media |
Her Serene Highness, who converted to Catholicism upon marrying the Sovereign Prince in 2011, looked dignified in all-black ensembles, with a boat neckline and a rosary bead necklace along with a black lace veil, called a mantilla. Her pixie platinum blonde hair was barely seen beneath the black lace veil.
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| An audience with the Pope ©Eric Mathon/Vatican Media |
The Sovereign Prince of Monaco and the Roman Pontiff, who is also a Head of State, exchanged gifts during the meeting that lasted for 25 minutes.
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| ©Eric Mathon/Vatican Media |
Pope Francis presented The Sovereign Prince couple with a bronze depiction of a child, helping another child get up from the ground with the words "love" and "help" etched on the figures' sides.
While Prince Albert II gifted the Pope with an artistic sketch of the Chapel of St. John the Baptist, located in the Prince's Palace of Monaco.
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| ©Eric Mathon/Vatican Media |
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| ©Eric Mathon/Vatican Media |
Vatican City is the smallest independent state in the world, with just 49 hectares, followed by Monaco with 202 hectares. Vatican City, which is officially represented internationally by the name - The Holy See, is located within the enclave of Rome, Italy.
Despite its small size, Vatican City is home to the most iconic arts and frescoes collections in the world, especially the Sistine Chapel, whose magnificent ceiling frescoes by Renaissance artist, Michelangelo, are the most unique in the world.
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| ©Eric Mathon/Prince's Palace of Monaco |
After the private audience with Pope Francis, Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene visited the Folon exhibition, which is open until August 27, at the Vatican museums.
And we're happy also to see Princess Charlene began wearing her engagement ring again!
Princess Charlene rarely wore her engagement ring, but lately, upon returning to royal duties in spring this year, she was spotted wearing it again but on few occasions only.
However, during this recent visit to Vatican with her husband, the ring with a massive three-carat, pear-cut diamond, flanked by smaller diamonds in triangle arrangements, was seen in her finger again with her wedding ring.
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