In Life. My story through History (2024), a book in the form of memoirs by Pope Francis, who passed away today at the age of 88, the Pope admitted that "it is true that the Vatican is the last absolute monarchy in Europe," while also calling for "abandoning courtly schemes."
The Holy Father was not usually seen as one of the monarchs still reigning globally, but the reality is that it is one dimension of the Catholic Church's shepherd. And, both as the spiritual guide of around 1.4 billion faithful worldwide and by virtue of his moral and geopolitical leadership of undeniable importance, the relationship of the Holy Father with leaders from the five continents is a highly relevant aspect in any pontificate. This was also the case, without a doubt, during the pontificate of Francis, who has cultivated ties with practically all the current monarchies.
Not only have his contacts been close with Catholic sovereigns or those of Christian religions. During Pope Francis' papacy, his meetings with members of Arab dynasties and countries with a Muslim majority have stood out, among other reasons because he made interreligious dialogue one of his banners.
Kings Charles and Camilla were the latest members of royalty whom the Pope received in audience a few days ago, during the official visit of the British monarchs to Italy.
At the beginning of February, just before his hospitalization, Queen Rania of Jordan -wife of Abdullah II- also met with the Pontiff, as the Hashemite consort participated in the World Summit on Children's Rights, organized by the Holy See in the Vatican. The queen and Francis both denounced that humanity is becoming insensitive to the suffering of minors, especially in war zones, clearly alluding to conflicts as heartbreaking as those in Ukraine or Palestine -where Queen Rania's roots lie.
Thus, during the visit that Juan Carlos I and his wife made to Francis in April 2014 -a few weeks before the former's abdication-, the Pope met with them for almost an hour, much longer than the usual strict 30 minutes. These details are not insignificant. The Kings had traveled to Rome on the occasion of the impressive canonization ceremony of John XXIII and John Paul II, where they shared places of honor with numerous leaders, including many members of royalty. And Queen Sofia, naturally, made use of the papal dispensation that granted her the privilege of wearing white. The anecdote of the private meeting between the Kings and a Francis who had been Pope for a short time occurred near the Paul VI Hall of the Vatican Palace, when the Argentine yielded the way to King Juan Carlos with the joke that "altar boys go first."
King Felipe and Queen Letizia would also meet the Pope in July of that same 2014. Just 15 days earlier, the King had been proclaimed before the Cortes, following his father's historic abdication, and the Vatican was chosen as the destination for the new sovereigns' first official trip abroad. Queen Letizia presented herself before the Pontiff in white, also assuming the privilege du blanc, but she did not wear a mantilla or any headpiece. This sparked a public debate, although the Queen has maintained her decision in many other subsequent events.
King Felipe and Queen Letizia had already had the opportunity to greet Francis in 2013, as the then Prince and Princess of Asturias represented the Crown at the solemn mass marking the beginning of his Pontificate. And the Queen would still meet the Pope alone at the end of 2014, when she participated in the second World Conference on Nutrition at the FAO headquarters in Rome.
There have been many traditions of the Spanish Royal Family that have been broken since Felipe VI ascended the throne. Surprisingly, in this matter, there has not been a presentation of the heir Princess, Leonor, and her sister, Infanta Sofia, to the Pope in all these years, something that had always happened in previous generations.
Especially symbolic was Pope Francis' relationship with the Windsors. Queen Elizabeth II, also head of the Church of England, repaired relations with the Vatican throughout her 70-year reign, with historic meetings with successive pontiffs. She met with Francis in April 2014. It was a mere courtesy visit to Bergoglio, taking advantage of the fact that the British sovereign and her husband, Prince Philip, were concluding a State visit to Italy. That encounter had more friction than meeting, despite both sides downplaying it. Because Queen Elizabeth II arrived half an hour late to the Vatican, as her farewell to the Italian president had been delayed. Furthermore, instead of wearing black, as is customary, she appeared in a colorful floral dress very spring-like -although it is true that protocol is less rigid for private audiences, without an official character-. In any case, perhaps to reciprocate, Francis concluded the meeting in just 17 minutes, 13 minutes less than usual. In the customary exchange of gifts, Elizabeth II presented the Pontiff with a basket of products including honey and Scotch whisky.
There cannot be talk of a bad relationship between the Pope of Rome and the British royal family. On the contrary. As Prince and Princess of Wales, Charles and Camilla visited the Pope back in 2017.
The Pope's countless encounters with members of all dynasties are worth noting, as we mentioned. One of the novelties in Vatican protocol introduced in recent years is the almost anecdotal relaxation of the aforementioned privilege du blanc, established over a century ago as a recognition to Royal Houses faithful to the Catholic Church, compared to those throughout history who had embraced Protestant creeds. In this regard, we have seen how Queens Paola and Mathilde of Belgium, Princess Charlene of Monaco, Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg, and the aforementioned Sofia and Letizia of Spain, proudly asserted their privilege in meetings with the Holy Father. However, recent visits to Pope Francis have also been made by King Mswati III of Eswatini, along with his fiancée Momcebo Zuma, who appeared at the apostolic see in pure white, with the Vatican's agreement, despite the fact that the last absolute monarch of Africa does not profess the Catholic religion, but belongs to a local Christian Episcopal Church. What will dynasties like the very Catholic princely family of Liechtenstein think, which, however, was never granted this significant privilege?
The Pope has also cultivated excellent relationships with monarchs who are heads of other religions, such as Emperor Naruhito of Japan. During his pontificate, he has also met with the then Prince Frederik of Denmark -now king and primate of the Church of Denmark- or with Prince Rahim, who has recently become the new Aga Khan, leader of the Ismaili Nizari community.
Historical Journey
Francis made history in 2019 by becoming the first Pope to set foot on the Arabian Peninsula. During his trip to Abu Dhabi, he met with top local authorities, including Emir Mohamed bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the President of the Emirates, and the Emir of Dubai, Sheikh Mohamed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. The Pope, deeply committed to interreligious dialogue and particularly to fostering closer ties with Islam, has had numerous encounters with Muslim monarchs such as the King of Bahrain, Abdullah II of Jordan, and Mohammed VI of Morocco - a country the Pontiff visited in 2019. Despite Saudi Arabia being one of the few countries with which the Holy See still does not have bilateral relations, Francis continued his gestures of rapprochement towards its ruling dynasty, a process that began during the time of Benedict XVI, who historically received King Abdullah, the then head of the Saudi royal family, at the Vatican as a gesture of courtesy.
One of the most controversial episodes of Pope Francis' pontificate involved one of the most unique monarchs recognized by International Law, the Prince of the Sovereign Order of Malta. In 2017, the Pope did not back down until he achieved the resignation of Matthew Festing, despite his position as sovereign prince being lifelong. This was due to a commission set up by the Curia after it was revealed that an NGO affiliated with the Order of Malta had distributed condoms in Africa and Asia. The prince considered this an unacceptable interference by the Papacy, but ultimately had to resign.
In the extensive relationship between Pope Francis and the Monarchies around the world, it is worth highlighting his recognition, like that of all his predecessors, of the Italian royal family led until his death last year by the controversial Victor Emmanuel of Savoy, and now by his only son, Filiberto. The Pontiff thanked the dynasty for the last King of Italy, Umberto II, donating the Shroud of Turin to the Catholic Church. The House of Savoy is particularly proud to have Vatican support in their dynastic affairs. This was evident most recently at the funeral of Benedict XVI in January 2023, where Princess Victoria of Savoy, the eldest daughter of Filiberto and Clotilde, who is destined to lead the dynasty most closely linked to the Papacy for historical reasons, held a place of honor, very close to Queen Sofia of Spain.