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Getting ready to go out can be a daunting task – more so if you are meeting Britain’s royal family.
Preparations for Melania Trump’s first state visit to the UK – she missed her husband’s first in 2019 – have reportedly been underway for months, with particular attention paid to her meeting with Catherine, Princess of Wales.
According to a CNN report, one source familiar with White House planning described the effort as a “months-long endeavour” with close attention to detail including organising gifts and selecting “de-conflicting attire”.
The high-profile visit includes staying at Windsor Castle, an air display by the Red Arrows, lunch at Windsor’s State Dining Room, a meeting with British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer at his country residence Chequers, and finally a banquet at Windsor at which Trump and the King will both give speeches.
The meeting is being framed as a symbolic moment of soft diplomacy, and an opportunity for Starmer and his beleaguered government to regain momentum, with discussions with Trump expected on the trans-Atlantic trade deal and export tariffs, while also generally projecting a shared air of prosperity.
Melania and Kate are scheduled to appear together on Thursday and in the absence of any planned public speeches, their wardrobe choices will likely be heavily scrutinised.
A successful meeting between the women, who both represent distinct cultural and political spheres, could “go a long way in terms of strengthening diplomatic ties,” according to journalist Elizabeth Holmes, author of “HRH: So Many Thoughts on Royal Style.”
Melania’s team has been working meticulously to ensure her appearance and conduct align with royal expectations, including wardrobe choices, etiquette briefings, and rehearsals for formal greetings, the report said.
The First Lady “has been planning her outfits, specifically her dress for the dinner with the king and queen, for months,” one White House official said.
“If she does any public event, but in particular foreign events, she knows that there’s a heightened level of scrutiny on it, just in terms of sheer coverage,” CNN’s source said.
Melania will also receive preparation in the form of biographical information about who she’ll be meeting and a “more substantive binder filled with details about her counterparts’ personal interests and plans for their outings”, the report added.
Significant thought has been put into what she will wear, including entering into correspondence with Buckingham Palace on what others will be wearing.
CNN’s source added: “We were pretty forthright, calling and saying, ‘Is she wearing blue today? And what shade of blue is it?’ And then we would wear navy if she was wearing sky blue. We definitely don’t want to clash – we want to complement.”
For some observers, the meeting between Melania and Princess Kate may be the most closely watched moment of all.
