The Pope’s funeral had a strict dress code — but not everyone followed the rules

There was a dress code in place, but some bent the rules (Picture: Alessandra Benedetti – Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images)

Pope Francis has been laid to rest today (April 26) at the Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica in Rome, after a requiem mass at St Peter’s Basilica.

Around 200,000 people gathered in St Peter’s Square to pay their respects to the late Pontiff, including 50 world leaders and a number of European royals.

Among the funeral guests were Prince William, Prime Minister Keir Starmer, US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky and First Lady Olena Zelenska, King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain and King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium.

For the most part, standard formal funeral dress was deemed acceptable for guests, however, there were a few specific dress code requirements for the Vatican.

Thousands gathered in Rome for the funeral of Pope Francis (Picture: AP Photo/Andrew Medichini, File)

Men were asked to wear a dark suit with a long black tie and a button of the same colour on the left lapel of the jacket (where Vatican honours can be placed). White shirts under jackets were permitted.

For women, it was long black dresses, which ideally went below the knee. Black mantilla (a lace veil) and black gloves could also be worn, but the only jewellery permitted for the ceremony was a string of pearls.

However, not everyone seemed to follow the rules to the letter.

President Trump’s attire for the funeral has caused a stir on social media (Picture: Massimo Valicchia/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

President Trump’s blue suit and blue tie have come under fire online, with commenters on X (formerly Twitter) claiming his choice of attire was ‘disrespectful’ as it made him ‘stick out’.

Former President Joe Biden also wore a blue tie to the service instead of a black one, although he did have on a dark black suit.

Meanwhile President Zelensky had no tie at all, but was dressed in all-black for the occasion, wearing a utility-style jacket instead of a traditional suit jacket.

President Zelensky didn’t wear a tie to the funeral (Picture: ISABELLA BONOTTO/AFP via Getty Images)

Instead of pearls, Melania Trump opted to wear a simple necklace with a silver cross. She also chose not to wear tights, something many women opt to do at State funerals, although not a strict requirement in this instance.

The rest of her outfit was ideal though, as she paired her elegant long black dress and heels with a black lace mantilla and matching lace gloves.

Melania wasn’t alone in wearing a traditional liturgical mantilla, with Jill Biden, Queen Letizia, Princess Charlene of Monaco, Queen Rania of Jordan, Queen Mathilde of Belgium, Queen Mary of Denmark, Queen Silvia of Sweden and Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway all donning the gothic veils.

A number royals attended the funeral wearing a mantilla, includingQueen Mathilde of Belgium (Picture:Franco Origlia/Getty Images)

Victoria Starmer didn’t wear one, but instead took a more British approach to the dress code, opting for a black fascinator with short black netting on top.

While several female guests like Brigitte Macron, Olena Zelenska and Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni, chose not to wear dresses to the funeral, but instead looked chic in black suits.

It might seem disrespectful to focus on fashion on a day like today, but senior clerics have previously shared that clothing has its own part to play in religion.

Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the Archbishop of New York, previously said: ‘The Church and the Catholic imagination are all about three things: truth, goodness and beauty. That’s why we’re into things such as art, culture, music, literature and, yes, even fashion.’

Victoria Starmer put her own spin on the black lace veil (Picture: Antonio Masiello/Getty Images)

Why didn’t everyone wear black to the Pope’s funeral?

The Catholic clerics had their own dress code for the funeral, as many people watching at home will have noticed.

There were some especially eye-catching outfits worn, with different members of the church swathed in red, white and purple for the mass and adorned in gold and jewels.

To some, the devout may have looked like they’d stepped straight out of the Met Gala circa 2018, Catholics will know that the attire is nothing out of the ordinary.

The Cardinals wore white damask mitres (Picture: FILIPPO MONTEFORTE/AFP via Getty Images)

Examples of the different traditional dress could be seen on the Cardinals, who all dressed in liturgical red vestements and white damask mitres – a 12-inch ceremonial headdress.

The high-ranking members of the Eastern Rite Churches stood out in their dazzling gold phelonion (robes) and gold mitres, which resembled crowns.

The Swiss Guard uniforms are visually striking (Picture: ANDREAS SOLARO/AFP via Getty Images)

And of course, some of the most visually striking outfits at the funeral were worn by the Swiss Guard, who are the traditional guard of honour of the papacy.

They wear Renaissance-style dress that includes a feathered helmet, a vibrant red, yellow and blue striped uniform with puffy sleeves and big white collars.

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