White outfit, wrong occasion, CherieCherie Blair with Pope Benedict Cherie Blair provoked surprise in the Vatican and the ire of a Roman Catholic MP yesterday by wearing all-white to meet the Pope, a privilege normally reserved for Catholic Queens.
The Vatican convention is that females meeting the Pontiff should wear black, preferably with a black veil, or mantilla.
When the Queen met Pope John Paul II six years ago, she observed the code meticulously.
Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, wore black, but omitted the veil.
By contrast, Mrs Blair, a staunch Catholic, chose to exercise the "privilege du blanc", usually granted only to the wives of Catholic monarchs.
Her breach of the protocol was surprising, since she has kept closely to the Church's dress code in the past.
Mrs Blair may not have worn a hat to the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales but she mourned the passing of John Paul II in a mantilla.
Technically, only three women should wear white in the presence of the Pope.
They are Queen Sofia of Spain, Queen Paola of Belgium and Josephine Charlotte, the wife of Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg. Queen Sofia exercised her privilege in a meeting with the previous Pope in 2003.
Ann Widdecombe, the former Tory minister and a convert to Catholicism, was scathing about Mrs Blair.
"Even the Queen wore black to meet the Pope," she said. "This shows that she has a very grand idea of herself.
"She is a Catholic. She knows what the tradition is when meeting the Pope.
"She obviously thinks she is the first lady.
"My message to her is 'You are not a Catholic Queen, my dear, and you never will be.' "
Mrs Blair was in Rome for a Church-organised conference entitled "Vanishing Youth? Solidarity with Children and Young People in an Age of Turbulence".
She was invited as an expert and remained afterwards for a private meeting with the Pope. A spokesman for the Vatican declined to reveal what they had discussed.
By Malcolm Moore in Rome and Jonathan Petre, Religion Correspondent
Published: 12:01AM BST 29 Apr 2006
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/
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