Why did Melania and Ivanka Trump look like a wake during the visit to the Pope?
The dreary clothing of both responds to the strict protocol that the Vatican requires of women who are going to have an audience with the pope, reports USA Today. Stephanie Grisham, the first lady's communications director, reported:
Traditionally, until the pontificate of the pope emeritus, Benedict XVI, and in that of all his predecessors, the order was that all women wear this suit with their respective blanket, in accordance with the traditions of the Roman Catholic Church.
Only a few female royal members of Catholic countries are spared the strict dress code of the Holy See. They embrace what they call the "white privilege" rule. For example, Princess Charlene of Monaco exercised such a privilege last January when she visited Francis, wearing a white jacket and gloves, a shawl of the same color and heels, recalls The Telegraph.
However, not all women who meet with the pope fully comply with the requests. That is the case of the Chancellor of Germany, Angela Merkel, who did not wear a headscarf when she visited Francis in 2016:
Although she was wearing a black suit for the occasion, many wondered why she did not wear the veil. According to NBC News, women are not entirely forced to wear this garment in encounters with the pope. In addition to Merkel, for example, Duchess Camilla of Cambridge also did not wear the mantle when visiting the pontiff.
Seeing the Trump attire, an uncomfortable question arose: why did they cover their heads at the meeting with Francisco, but on the visit they made to Saudi Arabia, during the same tour, did they choose to show their hair normally despite of the traditions of that country? Grisham has the answer, and it's simple enough: There was no requirement for the first lady's dress on that visit.
