Melania Trump and Kate Middleton join scouts for nature-focused event at Frogmore Gardens

U.S. First Lady Melania Trump and Catherine, Princess of Wales, met with members of the Scouts' Squirrels program at Frogmore Gardens in Windsor, England, just before noon as part of an event focused on children and nature. The gathering reflected a casual, hands-on approach, with the First Lady changing from a yellow gown to garden-friendly attire. Trump wore a tan suede leather jacket and white riding pants, while the Princess of Wales wore a brown Ralph Lauren dress with an olive suede jacket and a brown cashmere knitted vest.

Guided by Chief Scout for the Scout Association Dwayne Fields, the two dignitaries joined four tables of children ages four to six, supervised by adult volunteers, for art and nature activities. The children pressed leaves onto paper, added illustrations, and discussed their work as the First Lady sat nearby examining the artwork. 'This is beautiful!' she exclaimed at one moment as a boy showed her a leaf-pressing technique, and the Princess of Wales sat on the grass chatting with the youngsters. A small girl took the First Lady's hand and led her to another table for a hop-skip moment during the activities.

Other activities included building 'bug hotels' from cardboard and tubes. The First Lady asked for guidance and participated directly, telling the children 'Oh yes, fun!' as they demonstrated how to assemble their projects. She drew with markers—an outline of a bear in brown, a sun in yellow, grass in green— and the children added a pink flower. The Princess of Wales remained engaged, speaking with several children about their artwork.

Later, the group gathered on a ring of straw bales for a parachute game, with the children pushing balls out from beneath the parachute's surface, much to their delight. The Scoutmaster explained that the day had produced a special achievement for the Squirrels, noting that 'We all earned a badge today!' The First Lady and the Princess presented the 'Go Wild' badges to the children in groups of three and shook their hands as the ceremony concluded. Staff then laid out a celebratory picnic with cartons of food and juice, and a volunteer told the First Lady that the children were 'quite taken with you' as she handed out treats. The Princess and Mrs. Trump spoke briefly with the youngsters before bidding them farewell, and the Scoutmaster presented his neck scarf as a keepsake before the dignitaries departed.

Officials described the event as aligning with Mrs. Trump's focus on education and well-being of children during her time in the East Wing, and it underscored a collaborative spirit with the royal family and UK Scouts in promoting outdoor activity and nature education among young people.