In her four years living at the White House, Melania Trump rubbed shoulders with a number of the most powerful people on the planet - including members of the British Royal Family.
And there's one very senior royal that the model turned First Lady is said to be particularly close to. Although there may be an ocean between them, not to mention an enormous gulf in terms of lifestyle and upbringing, Melania, 54, is understood to be very pally with King Charles III, with the pair keeping in touch through written correspondence.
In her recently published memoir Melania, the mother-of-one shared how she'd found unexpected common ground with Charles during their first meeting in New York back in 2005. It was during the Trumps' 2019 state visit to the UK that she and Charles connected once more over a shared passion for environmental issues.
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PA)Melania, who is originally from Slovenia, wrote: "The evening's state banquet was a formal and elegant affair. I was seated next to Prince Charles, and it was an absolute pleasure to reconnect with him. Our paths had crossed many years ago in New York City. This time we engaged in an interesting conversation about his deep-rooted commitment to environmental conservation."
In the same book, Melania spoke of how she and her husband had 'truly connected' with the late Queen Elizabeth II, who treated them with the 'utmost hospitality' during their stay in England. Queen Elizabeth even gifted the First Lady a special silver box with a handcrafted enamel lid, adorned with roses, thistles and shamrocks just like the ones found on the ceiling of the palace music room.
Melania recalled: "As we bid farewell to Her Majesty, we extended a cordial invitation for her return visit to the United States. She expressed her gratitude with a warm smile. Sadly, Her Majesty wasn't able to visit with us again before her death in 2022, but our friendship with the Royal Family continues, and we exchange letters with King Charles to this day."
It's believed that the King perhaps isn't quite so chummy with Melania's divisive hubby Donald, who, long before he incorrectly referred to Charles as the 'Prince of Whales', reportedly rubbed The Firm up the wrong way after he criticised Princess Kate back in 2012.
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Adam Gerrard / Daily Mirror)While holidaying in France with husband Prince William, Kate was photographed sunbathing topless by a paparazzo wielding a long lens, sparking outrage at the palace. Rather than showing Kate any sympathy, Donald, now 78, took to social media platform X - then known as Twitter - claiming that the princess only had 'herself to blame'.
He tweeted: "Kate Middleton is great--but she shouldn’t be sunbathing in the nude--only herself to blame. Who wouldn’t take Kate’s picture and make lots of money if she does the nude sunbathing thing. Come on Kate!"
As per Christopher Andersen’s 2022 biography The King: The Life of Charles III, Donald's blunt comments left King Charles, as well as Princes William and Harry, bursting into 'torrents of profanity'. Citing a Clarence House butler as a source, Anderson wrote: "Trump's criticism of Kate resulted in what one Clarence House butler referred to as 'torrents of profanity' from both Prince Charles and his sons."
Donald had reportedly already riled up the royals long before Kate entered the scene, after reportedly making crass remarks about the late Princess Diana. According to Anderson's eye-opening book: "It didn't help that Trump had aggressively pursued Princess Diana after her divorce—overtures that were rebuffed—and claimed later on a radio program that he could have 'nailed her if I wanted to,' but only if she passed an HIV test."
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Getty Images)Queen Elizabeth also reportedly didn't warm to 'The Donald', according to Craig Brown's new book, A Voyage Around The Queen, which claims that Her Majesty found the 45th president to be 'very rude'. Brown wrote: "Over the course of her reign, Her Majesty entertained many controversial foreign leaders, including Bashar al-Assad, Robert Mugabe, Idi Amin, Donald Trump, Emperor Hirohito and Vladimir Putin. She may not have found their company convivial; upon their departure, she may even have voiced a discreet word of disapproval.
"A few weeks after President Trump's visit, for instance, she confided in one lunch guest that she found him 'very rude': she particularly disliked the way he couldn't stop looking over her shoulder, as though in search of others more interesting.
"She also believed President Trump 'must have some sort of arrangement' with his wife Melania, or else why would she have remained married to him?"
Trump appears to have viewed his meeting with the monarch quite differently, however, as detailed by Brown. The writer continued: "For his part, Donald Trump was confident he had been her favourite guest ever. 'There are those that say they have never seen the Queen have a better time, a more animated time', he later told America's Fox News."
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