King Philippe and Queen Mathilde had a private audience with Pope Francis at the Vatican on Thursday morning. The Royal Palace announced this meeting and shared

photos on X, the former Twitter.

According to the palace, the royals' visit was a confidential meeting with the Pope, and they attended without any aides. Although the specific topics discussed remain undisclosed, it is believed that subjects such as the situation in the Congo, the upcoming visit by the Pope in early 2023, the conflict in Ukraine, and the appointment of the new Belgian archbishop were among the matters touched upon.

During their meeting, King Philippe extended an invitation to Pope Francis to visit Belgium during the 600th anniversary celebrations of KU Leuven in the academic year 2024-2025.

Following their audience with the Pope, the King and Queen held a meeting with Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States of the Holy See. A statement from the Vatican emphasized the satisfaction expressed at the positive relations between the Holy See and Belgium, highlighting the significant role of Christian faith and the Catholic Church in these relations.

Notably, Queen Mathilde wore a traditional white mantilla, signifying her status as one of only seven women globally permitted to wear white when in the presence of the Pope. This "privilege of the white" is a tradition established by the Roman Catholic Church and extends to Catholic Queens and other select individuals.

This marked the second visit by the royal couple to Pope Francis, with their first meeting taking place in March 2015. Photo by Didier Moïse, Wikimedia commons.