The Borderline Inappropriate Outfit Sophie Grégoire Trudeau Will Never Live Down

Sophie Grégoire Trudeau became something of a style icon during the height of her fame, but that didn't stop her from making a major style faux pas during her tenure wife of former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. It all happened in 2017 when she traveled to the Vatican with her husband, Justin, to meet Pope Francis, who passed away in April 2025. After the meeting, she took to Facebook to commemorate the moment. "What an enriching experience it was to meet with Pope Francis," she captioned a photo of them engaging in conversation. "I cherish our common belief that people of all faiths and backgrounds must stand united for peace."

Sophie's visit with the Pope was so successful that she even managed to slip in a bit of informal conversation. Taking to Instagram, Sophie shared a sweet conversation she had with the Pope, where she got to ask him about his vices. She wrote, "I hear you have a vice? He looked at me with the wide, curious eyes of a child. I added: 'Maple syrup." Surprisingly, the Pope took the question well, according to Sophie, who claimed that "He burst into laughter." But the conversation then took a serious turn. "But what stayed with me most was what he said at the end," she continued, adding, "He looked at me intently and asked, 'Please pray for me.'"

Despite their easy rapport, Sophie donned an inappropriate outfit in front of the Pope that she may never live down — as it broke tradition. 

Sophie Grégoire Trudeau arrived to meet Pope Francis wearing a simple black dress that would've, in any other circumstances, satisfied any reasonable expectations for modest attire. However, women are required to adhere to a very specific dress code when coming face-to-face with the Pope, and Sophie definitely didn't get the memo. According to The Catholic Weekly, most women are required to wear black when encountering the Pope. They're also supposed to wear a veil. And while Sophie got the color scheme right, she totally forgot to bring her veil with her to the Vatican.

According to Yahoo! Life, Sophie chose to skirt tradition, unlike Melania Trump and Ivanka Trump, who met with the Pope days earlier. Both women wore similar black dresses trimmed in lace that hit them mid-calf. The daughter and stepmother paired the uncharacteristically modest looks with pairs of black pumps and, of course, different versions of black veils. Ivanka, for example, chose a sheer veil reminiscent of a bridal veil (had it been white instead of black), while Melania reached for a veil that covered more of her hair. Adding to Sophie's tragic past, she will probably never live down this monumental style faux pas, but it's unlikely she meant to cause offense to the Pope. With that said, Sophie's definitely picked out looks that were a big middle finger to her ex, Justin.