On January 5, 2023, King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium and Queen Sofia of Spain attended the funeral of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI at St. Peter's square in Vatican. Benedict was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 19 April 2005 until his resignation on 28 February 2013. Benedict died on 31 December 2022 at his residence, Mater Ecclesiae Monastery, in the Vatican. He was 95 years old.
Q. Sofia and Q. Mathilde look dignified and good.
ReplyDeletepauline
Sembra che Mathilde indossi un abito lungo.
ReplyDeleteRossella🌹
Only 2 royal houses attended?
ReplyDeleteMost of the other royal houses are protestant( British, Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, Dutch) so probably would not feel the need to attend.
DeleteIt is curious.
DeleteI think what we are seeing here has to do with the fact that Benedict was retired--no longer a head of state. If you look at the attendance of the funeral for Pope John Paul II you see a very different situation--he died as a sitting pope, therefore, a deceased head of state.
DeleteJanet
Sarebbe stato bello vedere le case reali protestanti, ma anche i rappresentanti di altre religioni.
DeleteRossella🌹
Thanks for your answer Gemma, but there were more royal guests during the papal inauguration.
DeleteThe only other catholic monarchies apart from Spain and Belgium are Monaco and Luxembourg. Albert and Charlene were scheduled (I'd guess long time before it was clear that the Pope Emeritus took a turn for the worse) to go to the USA, and the Grandducal house of LUX might still be somewhere on holiday. The protestant monarchs were certainly not in attendance because this was no state occasion, as the late Pope had not been head of state since he resigned in 2013. The German government officials only attended because Benedikt XVI was of German origin.
DeleteActually, Spain is a secular country nowadays, so religion is a private issue. The Monarchy must represent everybody, because of that the Queen and the King did not attend, Sofía does not represent Spain anymore, is a private visit. Also, she is Greek Ortodox, and usually attends the Greek church in Greece.
DeleteQueen Sofia can represent Spain if asked to by the King. What Church does she attend when she isn't in Greece?
DeleteAnon 23:58...I do not know, she has been living in London for the last 40-50 years, separated of her husband. But we know in Spain that she attends the Greek Easter every year and the Greek liturgia . This is a private visit, actually Queen Letizia is agnostic, but she visit the Pope too.
DeleteI heard she was not in London so much any more - since her brother moved back to Greece. There is definitely a Greek Orthodox church in London - i suppose there must be one in Madrid? But I think Sofia spends quite a bit of time in Spain - I think Princess Irene is also based in Spain?
DeleteEn regardant mieux, je remarque que Mathilde est vêtue d'une robe longue sur laquelle elle porte un manteau trois-quart ; sa longue mantille est épinglée sur un chignon délicatement travaillé !
ReplyDeleteSpero che la morte del Papa Emerito ora non scateni una guerra interna contro Papa Francesco...
ReplyDeleteRossella🌹
Queen Mathilde looks dignified and elegant. Her Mantilla is perfectly placed. Love the pearl choker she is wearing, she suits this beautifully. Q. Sofia looks elegant, her ensemble looks good, love the brooch, looks to be pearl.
ReplyDeleteSadly no more Royals attended. They can be private Citizens and go to the funeral. I hate to say this but maybe without Cameras showing their presents constantly they are not interested. I love the outfits of Q"s Mathilde and Sofia Also nice to see the Pss"s of Venice there. It seems everyone tells I want privacy, but they don't show up if there are no Cameras. Maybe someone can explain that? josebabe
ReplyDeleteI think, given that Pope Emritus Benedict was retired and longer seen as a head of state, the protestant royals did not attend along with other country's leaders. Yes, they could have attended as private citizens but perhaps they did not have real relationship with Benedict. I know that when previous sitting popes have died there have been representatives from the protestant royal houses as well other world leaders--President George Bush and Mrs. Bush attended Pope John Paul II's funeral. I believe the difference we are seeing here has to do with diplomatic issues as opposed to anything else.
DeleteJanet
Most of the other Royals aren't Catholics. They'd be taking seats from those who view the Pope as The Head of their Church and the leader of their faith.
DeleteQueen Mathilde looked appropriately respectful, somber and dignified, but, at the same time, quite lovely. Her pearl choker is gorgeous. Queen Sofia looks very nice too. I especially appreciate her pretty brooch but wish I could see more of it.
ReplyDeleteYes , it is disappointing other royal houses did not see the need to send someone from their families out of respect.
ReplyDeleteThey weren't expected to send anyone - diplomatic representation only was expected.
DeleteDear debaters, I am a Catholic in a Catholic country (Slovakia) and I have better information than you, because his funeral was described in detail in our press, there was a live broadcast on TV and our Prime Minister attended it.
ReplyDelete1. Pope Benedict was retired - he was not the acting head of the Vatican. 2. Before his death, he expressed a wish for a modest and simple burial.
3. The Vatican officially invited only the heads of Italy and Germany (the Pope was German).
4. The organizers of the funeral (the Vatican + the authorities of the city of Rome) expressed the wish that the condolences of the other presidents and kings be sent through ambassadors to the Holy See. It saved huge costs in organizing and worrying about security. The few royals and politicians there were from explicitly Catholic countries in Europe.
And now to fashion: Here in Central Europe, in Bavaria - where the Pope was from, we don't wear a mantilla at funerals. Women wear a black hat or hair without covering, in the past too a scarf tied under the chin.
Stephanie
Sorry, but Spain is a not a Catholic country anymore, It is a secular one. Also, Sofía is Greek Orthodox and attends Greek churches un Greece.
DeleteNow the Head of State is his son, Felipe VI and the Queen , Letizia, the Constitución does not allow two Queens. She is not representing Spain.
TO anon 21:27 And where am I talking about Spain? To clarify. what is a "secular" country in your understanding? Slovakia is also considered a secular country because its laws and institutions are independent of any religion. The point is that the majority of people in my country profess the Catholic faith - just like in Austria or Bavaria - one of the federal states of Germany. Our Prime Minister is a devout Catholic, that's why he was there, the previous one was not Catholic.
DeleteStephanie
Stephanie, you said "the explicitly Catholic countries in Europe". In Spain most people is agnostic, weddings are civil, homosexual people can marry each other, abortion is legal also eutanasia.Nobody follows the Catholic religión. That's the point
DeleteTO 9:43: Well, it seems the Spanish royal family follows the Catholic religion, as photos of King Felipe and his family at religion events are sometimes published. But you don't have to take my word for it. I wrote - from explicitly Catholic countries - I should have written : predominantly politician from Catholic countries. You have to understand, my English is not perfect, it is my third foreign language and I am still trying to improve it.
DeleteStephanie
Letizia is agnostic and everyone knows It, just saying..
DeleteQueen Sofia was born as greek orthodox princess, but with her wedding to catholic king she convert to catholic!
ReplyDeleteDid she? Why did she have a Greek Orthodox wedding in Greece then?
DeleteShe never converted, there were two weddings, one in Athens by Orthodox and other in Spain ..How can a person "convert" a religion..??
DeleteYes, you are true, Sofia is catholic Queen (Emeritus) now, no more orthodox.
DeleteOf course she converted!!!
ReplyDelete"Sofía converted from Greek Orthodoxy to Catholicism to become more palatable to Catholic Spain, and thus relinquished her rights to the Greek throne."
You can read it on Wikipedia...
Wikipedia says that Letizia is Catholic and actually she is an agnostic and everyone knows It. She has allowed that her children were to a Catholic school, the same as Sofía, none of them are "converted". They actually can change their mundo.
DeleteTo anon 7/1/23 20:28
ReplyDeleteQueen Sofia become after her wedding CATHOLIC Queen and she got "privilege du blanc" in Vatican (wear white dress by visiting to pope / of course not to funeral. Only catholic queens got this privilege)... so she is NOT MORE orthodox!
Of course person can convert a religion!
Really? When Spain was a dictatorship, there are no more Catholic Queens in Spain, it is a secular country.
DeleteAll that comments about "convert" do not know Spain at all, that was only for Franco, and the dictatorship, and obviously Juan Carlos and Sofía always were against Franco, It was one of the lies they told him. Because of that the Monarchy is there in Spain and not a Republic nowadays.
ReplyDeleteSofía is and always has been Orthodox and everyone knows It in Spain, do not believe in Fairy tails.
Post a Comment
(We will not publish anonymous comments that were posted without stating a name or nickname)