Audience (meeting)

Did You Know?

• In Denmark, public audiences with the King do not require an invitation.
• In the United Kingdom, audiences with the monarch are usually listed in the Court Circular, published daily by the broadsheet press.

Holy See

In the past, papal audiences required strict dress codes. For general audiences, smart business professional attire—technically informal wear, such as a dark suit and tie or equivalent for ladies—was acceptable, and ladies were ideally not to wear slacks anywhere in the Vatican. Private audiences were far more formal: ladies wore a long black dress well below the knees with a matching hat or head covering and veil, though Catholic queens could wear white by dispensation (privilège du blanc). Gentlemen wore a correct morning suit in black or very dark gray with striped trousers, patent leather shoes, and a cutaway, along with an ascot or formal tie, a gray waistcoat, and a white dress shirt with arrow collars. If any part of the audience occurred outdoors, a black top hat was worn; indoors, the hat was optional. Both gentlemen and ladies wore dress gloves, and evening functions required white tie. Formal dress is now normally reserved for diplomatic audiences. Modern popes grant large audiences in St. Peter's Square or the Paul VI Audience Hall.

Spain

In the Kingdom of Spain, the monarch, the prince or princess of Asturias, and their consorts commonly receive in audience representatives from business, cultural, social, political, and diplomatic sectors. These audiences usually take place at the Zarzuela Palace. Additionally, the prime minister holds private audiences with the monarch, and a special audience occurs at the Palace of Marivent during holidays.