Prince Ricardo De La Cerda
The Inauguration Mass for Pope Leo XIV has been held in St. Peter’s Square with tens of thousands gathered to see the first American Pope.
Several royal families were represented at the service in which the Pope was presented with the Fisherman’s Ring, a symbol of his Pontificate.
Pope Leo gave a short sermon in which he called for unity and peace and promised he would not ”rule like an autocrat”.
The royal guests included The Duke of Edinburgh who attended on behalf of King Charles III.
King Philippe of the Belgians was present along with his wife, Queen Mathilde. King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain were also present.
Prince Albert and Princess Charlene of Monaco joined the congregation as did Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg.
Queen Maxima represented the Dutch Royal Family while Crown Princess Victoria represented the Swedish Royal Family.
Hereditary Prince Alois and Hereditary Princess Sophie of Liechtenstein were also in attendance.
Women traditionally wear black when in the presence of the pope. However, there were four royal women in attendance wearing white: Queen Mathilde, Queen Letizia, Grand Duchess Maria Teresa,and Princess Charlene.
All have been granted le privilege du blanc, meaning that they can wear white when in the presence of the pope. The privilege du blanc was granted to queens and consorts in Catholic monarchies.
King Frederik and Queen Mary of Denmark did not attend but sent their greetings to the new Pope.
Leo XIV was elected Pope by the Conclave of Cardinals on May 8 2025 and succeeds Pope Francis who died on April 21 2025 at the age of 88.