Melania Trump and Catherine, Princess of Wales, join first-ever joint outing during Trump's Windsor state visit
In a historic pairing, the first lady and the royal wife accompany President Trump’s U.K. visit, engaging with Scouts and royal households as talks with Prime Minister Keir Starmer loom.
WINDSOR, England — First Lady Melania Trump and Catherine, the Princess of Wales, staged a historic joint appearance on the final day of President Donald Trump’s state visit to the United Kingdom, joining forces at Windsor in a display of cordial diplomacy amid a schedule that also includes a meeting with Prime Minister Keir Starmer at Chequers. The day’s engagements followed a daylong program that has centered on security, bilateral trade, and international concerns such as the Gaza conflict and the war in Ukraine. Trump later prepared to depart Windsor for Chequers, where he would hold talks with the prime minister as the state visit drew toward its close.
During their Windsor outing, the two women visited the Scouts’ Squirrels program, touring Frogmore Gardens on the Windsor Estate with the U.K.’s Chief Scout Dwayne Fields and members of the Squirrels group. The joint appearance marked the first time Melania Trump and the Princess of Wales have publicly collaborated in an outing. Kate, who has been Joint President of the Scout Association since 2020, was observed engaging with children about their art as a girl led Melania by the hand toward a table where youngsters were assembling “bug hotels” from cardboard and tubes, according to People. In the moment, Melania is quoted as asking, “Show me how, what I should do,” while expressing that her favorite bug is a ladybug.
The moment underscored Kate’s personal connection to scouting; the princess has long championed outdoor education and nature programs as part of her royal duties. The exchange also highlighted Melania’s willingness to participate in child-centered activities during the state visit, a gesture that complements the broader diplomatic aims of the trip.
Earlier in the day, Melania Trump had spent time with Queen Camilla on a separate Windsor engagement, touring the grounds and later visiting Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House and the Royal Library at Windsor Castle. The Dolls’ House, a centerpiece of the Royal Collection Trust, was built between 1921 and 1924 for Queen Mary and is celebrated as the largest and most famous miniature home in the world. The Trust notes that the home was designed to be “as true to life as possible,” complete with electricity, running water and working lifts, with interiors furnished by hundreds of artisans and donors. Melania and Camilla viewed items from the royal library, including early editions and royal memorabilia, in a segment that has long been a favorite of visitors to Windsor.
The day’s events come as Kate and the first lady also shared moments near Frogmore Cottage, where they were photographed enjoying the scent of flowers and the calm of the Windsor grounds. The joint appearances reflect a broader trend in which royal and American first families use ceremonial encounters to emphasize shared values and cultural diplomacy. The two women’s interaction also resonated with the story of Kate’s upbringing; she was a Brownie as a child and has since leveraged her role to support youth programs, including her continued leadership in the Scouts.
In the lead-up to the final day’s engagements, the state visit has included a highly choreographed state banquet at Windsor Castle, drawing 160 guests and featuring ceremonial displays such as a horse-led guard of honor and a substantial parliamentary-style reception. The event’s pomp has been noted as one of the most extensive showcases of bilateral ties in recent years, with observers highlighting the symbolism of the Trumps’ presence alongside the royal family as a sign of ongoing U.S.-U.K. partnership.
As the visit progressed toward its last hours, Trump spoke to reporters about the Windsor experience, calling King Charles III “a great gentleman, and a great King” as he prepared to depart the country. Officially, the second U.K. state visit by a sitting American president marked a historic milestone, with no other U.S. president having priorly completed a second state visit to Britain. According to The Associated Press, the milestone underscores the enduring relationship between the two nations and the role state visits play in reinforcing diplomatic ties on global issues such as trade, defense, and international security.
The final day’s itinerary also included a planned meeting at Chequers with Prime Minister Keir Starmer, where topics such as the Gaza conflict, the war in Ukraine, and trade policy were expected to be on the agenda. As the state visit concluded, security details remained at the forefront, with Windsor’s complex security footprint and the logistics required to accommodate visiting heads of state and their entourages.
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The Windsor visit’s final day thus underscored the blend of ceremonial tradition and modern diplomacy, as the Trumps wrapped up a state visit that revisited historic hospitality and repeatedly emphasized shared interests across the Atlantic. While the public schedule closed with the royal farewell and the Trump delegation’s departure for Chequers, officials cautioned that the day’s events served as a broader symbol of U.S.-U.K. cooperation on pressing international issues, not as a single moment of political decision-making. The parties have signaled that discussions at Chequers will focus on ongoing geopolitical concerns, trade relations, and the bilateral alliance’s broader strategic ambitions going forward.