An Audience is a formal meeting that takes place between a head of state and another person at the invitation of the head of state. Often the invitation follows a request for a meeting from the other person. Though sometimes used in republics to describe meetings with presidents, the term Audience is more usually associated with monarchs and popes. This article or section may be confusing or unclear for some readers, and should be edited to rectify this. ... Look up monarch in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The current Pope is Benedict XVI (born Joseph Alois Ratzinger), who was elected at the age of 78 on 19 April 2005. ...

In the past strict dress codes had to be followed by those granted an Audience. Men were required to wear a morning coat or white tie and tails, while women when meeting popes were required to wear full length black dresses and mantillas (black veils) unless they were a Catholic King¹, when they could wear white. Formal dress is now normally reserved for diplomatic Audiences. In the 1990s, a Roman Catholic priest in Ireland provoked a controversy by claiming that then President of Ireland Mary Robinson had breached Vatican protocol by not wearing black, by wearing jewellery and by not wearing a mantilla, for an Audience with Pope John Paul II. The Vatican immediately rubbished the claims, pointing out that the traditional form of dress worn for Papal Audiences was no longer obligatory but now optional, and no offence was meant or caused by Robinson's decision to wear a dark green unveiled outfit. It was also noted how no-one commented when her predecessor, Patrick Hillery, wore a lounge suit rather than a morning coat when attending Papal Audiences. A morning coat is a mans coat worn as the principal item in morning dress. ... The Countess of Fernán Núñez wearing the mantilla, portrait by Goya The 13th Duchess of Alba wearing a mantilla, portrait by Goya A Mantilla is a triangular headscarf made of cloth or lace previously worn to cover the head of Catholic women while attending certain religious ceremonies in... The sobriquet Catholic King is a title awarded by the Pope as head of the Roman Catholic Church to a monarch who in the eyes of the papacy embodies Catholic principles in his or her personal live and state policies. ... The President of Ireland (Irish: Uachtarán na hÉireann) is the head of state of the Republic of Ireland. ... Mary Robinson (Irish name Máire Mhic Róibín; born 21 May 1944) was the first female President of Ireland, serving from 1990 to 1997, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, from 1997 to 2002. ... Coat of Arms of Pope John Paul II. The Letter M is for Mary, the mother of Jesus, to whom he held strong devotion Pope John Paul II (Latin: ), born Karol Józef WojtyÅ‚a [1] (May 18, 1920 – April 2, 2005) reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church from... Dr. Patrick John Hillery (born May 2, 1923) is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician and the sixth President of Ireland from 1976 until 1990. ... Suits from the 1937 Chicago Woolen Mills catalog A suit, also known as a business suit or lounge suit or three-piece suit, comprises a collection of matching clothing consisting of: a coat (commonly known as a jacket) a waistcoat (optional) (USA vest) — without this it is know as a...

Modern popes grant large Papal Audiences to crowds in St. Peter's Square or the Pope Paul VI Hall. In the United Kingdom, Audiences with the British monarch are usually listed in the Court Circular, which is published daily by the broadsheet press. The British Prime Minister has a weekly Audience with Queen Elizabeth II, usually every Tuesday evening during parliamentary time. Saint Peters Square and Basilica, 1909. ... The Court Circular is the official record of all the engagements carried out by the British Royal Family, as well as appointments to their staff and to the court. ... Newspaper sizes in August 2005. ... In the United Kingdom, the Prime Minister is the head of government, exercising many of the executive functions nominally vested in the Sovereign, who is head of state. ... Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor; born 21 April 1926) is the Queen of 16 independent sovereign states known as the Commonwealth Realms. ...

Footnote

¹ The honorific title Catholic King, which was awarded by popes, is applied irrespective of sex, to a very small number of monarchs. Only two monarchs and their spouses currently hold the title; the Kings of Belgium and Spain and their Queens consort.