JD Vance, King Felipe, Queen Letizia, Prince Albert and More Attend Pope Leo XIV's Inaugural Mass

Ten days after his election in a speedy conclave, Pope Leo XIV (formerly Robert Francis Prévost) gathered his faithful in St. Peter's Square for the inaugural mass of his pontificate. Before the mass began, tens of thousands of the gathered observers at the foot of St. Peter's Basilica were able to catch a glimpse of the pontiff arriving. He greeted the crowd from his popemobile—a first since his election.

As was the case for Pope Francis' funeral, which took place on April 26, many heads of state and political representatives were in attendance. Vice President JD Vance, who was among the last to meet with the previous Pope Francis, arrived with his wife Usha. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, accompanied by his wife Olena Zelenska, European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni took part in the mass, as did French Prime Minister François Bayrou. All greeted the Pope with a handshake inside the basilica.

Many royals also accepted the invitation. King Felipe VI and his wife Queen Letizia were seated not far from King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium. A few seats further back were Queen Maxima of the Netherlands, Prince Albert and Princess Charlène of Monaco, who paired her customary white veil with a midi-length dress by designer Elie Saab for the event. Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg were also among the parishioners. All four women made use of their privilege of white—which entitles certain Catholic queens and princesses to wear a veil and white garments when meeting the Pope. Princess Victoria represented the Swedish crown, while Prince Edward represented the United Kingdom.

The service addressed the state of affairs across nations. "We still see too much discord, too many wounds caused by hatred, violence, prejudice, fear of the other, by an economic paradigm that exploits the Earth's resources and marginalizes the poorest," Pope Leo XIV lamented.

He also spoke of the humanitarian situation in Gaza and that its inhabitants had been “reduced to starvation” and called for "negotiations for a just and lasting peace" for the “martyred Ukraine.” Later in the day, the Ukrainian president met the Pope for a private audience, and then spoke for around 30 minutes with the Vice President Vance. The two politicians discussed the telephone call between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin scheduled for Monday.

Originally published in Vanity Fair France.