One dresses to the nines to welcome the pontiff. Pope Leo XIV, who arrived from the Vatican by helicopter, was greeted by the sunshine of Monaco on Saturday—a historic stop, as it has been 488 years since a pope had visited the principality (the last was Paul III, in 1538). This Monegasque stopover was Pope Leo’s first foreign trip of 2026, and kicks off the Holy Father’s vast world tour.
Prince Albert of Monaco and his wife, Princess Charlene of Monaco welcomed their guest in the courtyard of the Prince’s Palace, flanked by their children: Crown Prince Jacques of Monaco, dressed in a navy suit like his father, and Princess Gabriella, in an immaculate white dress and elegant shoes, like her mother. It has long been tradition that the wives of sovereigns of Catholic countries to wear white in the presence of the Pope, a practice that Princess Charlene continued.
The rest of the Grimaldi clan were dressed in black, with the female family members covering their hair with a mantilla. The sovereign’s sisters, Princesses Caroline and Stephanie, stood side by side. Next to them were Charlotte Casiraghi and her brother Pierre, who had come with his wife Beatrice Borromeo. Louis and Marie Ducruet completed the picture.
The Pope’s tour of the principality continued inside the palace, where he met with Prince Albert in a private meeting. The two men, who had already met at the Vatican last January, exchanged views on religious issues. peace, the environment, and international solidarity. Princess Charlene joined the pair at the end of the meeting for a traditional exchange of gifts.
After a greeting and a few words from the palace balcony, the Pope went to the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception to pray with the Bishop of Monaco. Shortly before noon, he addressed the gathered crowd from the square in front of the church of Sainte-Dévote. The Pope then rounded off his historic visit with an open-air mass for a crowd of thousands at the Stade Louis II.
