The titles Catholic King and Catholic Queen are awarded by the Pope as head of the Roman Catholic Church to monarchs who in the eyes of the papacy embody Catholic principles in their personal lives and state policies. The title remains attached to monarchs descended from whoever received the original, unless withdrawn by a Pope. Among the reigning monarchs of Europe, the title is currently carried by the sovereigns of Belgium, Luxembourg and Spain[citation needed]. The Roman Catholic Princes of Monaco and Liechtenstein have not been awarded the title, the other European monarchs (of Denmark, of the Netherlands, of Norway, of Sweden, and of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth countries) are Protestant, and the remaining world monarchs are not Christian.
One of the rights of being a Catholic Queen, either regnant or consort, is that she may wear white, rather than the normal black, when meeting the Pope (known as privilège du blanc).
The best-known example of the granting of this title is upon Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon (both kingdoms are now part of Spain). The Kings of Spain (since Los Reyes Católicos) have used the style of a Catholic Majesty. The present king chose not to relinquish the ancient titles of the Spanish crown, but he does not use them [1].
See also
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Notes
- ^ Almanach de Gotha 2000 page 336 2000.
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