- The Vatican had a strict all-black dress code for Pope Francis’s funeral Saturday. President Donald Trump wore a blue suit instead. He wasn’t alone, however. Many people in the crowd also wore blue suits, and several world leaders, including former President Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, also deviated from the norm in their own ways.
Some of the most powerful people in the world descended on Vatican City early Sunday to attend the funeral of Pope Francis, who died April 21 at the age of 88. The Vatican, as it typically does, had a strict dress code for attendees. For men, it dictated dark suits with white shirts and long black ties. Shoes, long socks, coats, and umbrellas were also specified to be black to mark the occasion.
President Donald Trump, however, wore an all-blue suit with an American flag pin on his lapel. He sat in the front row during the event.
For what it’s worth, Trump wasn’t alone in deviating from the Vatican’s dress code. Former President Joe Biden, a devout Catholic, wore a blue tie. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky did wear all black, but didn’t don a tie at all. And when you look at photos like the one above, you’ll spot several people who did not adhere to the dress code. That said, Trump is the leader of the free world and was the most visible person in attendance.
Women were similarly asked to wear long black dresses, black closed-toe shoes, gloves, and a veil. First lady Melania Trump adhered to the code, while also donning a pair of black pumps.