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Former First Lady Melania Trump reportedly has a pen pal in King Charles. In her self-titled memoir, which was released on Oct. 8, the former first lady revealed that she and her husband, former President Donald Trump, have kept in touch with His Majesty, and also wrote about hosting the King and Queen Camilla—then-the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall—for dinner during the Trumps' 2019 state visit to the UK.
"Donald and I hosted an intimate dinner in honor of Prince Charles and the Duchess at the US ambassador’s residence—a perfect expression of the enduring ties between our nations,” Melania wrote (via Vanity Fair). "Despite the tumultuous backdrop of British politics at the time surrounding Brexit and changes at the Prime Minister’s office, the Queen and her family extended a warm welcome to us, treating us with the utmost hospitality."
Melania shared that as she and Donald said goodbye to Queen Elizabeth, they "extended a cordial invitation for her return visit to the United States." Melania recalled, “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."
The state visit in 2019 was also a chance for Melania to reconnect with Charles, whom she sat next to at the state banquet. In her book, the former first lady wrote that it was an "absolute pleasure to reconnect" with the King. She added, “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.”
Donald met Queen Elizabeth for the first time in 2018 with his wife at Windsor Castle. The following year, the couple paid a state visit to the UK at the invitation of Queen Elizabeth. During the state banquet at Buckingham Palace, Charles' mother said, "I am delighted to welcome you and Mrs Trump to Buckingham Palace this evening, just twelve months after our first meeting at Windsor. Visits by American Presidents always remind us of the close and longstanding friendship between the United Kingdom and the United States, and I am so glad that we have another opportunity to demonstrate the immense importance that both our countries attach to our relationship."
This past August, Donald's son Eric Trump spoke about his father's respect for Queen Elizabeth, who passed away in 2022. Eric told GB News: “What I can tell you is, my father had so much respect for the Queen, as did I." Eric also noted in the interview that his late mother, Ivana Trump, knew "so many of them for years," including Princess Diana. "[She] had a great relationship with Diana and everyone else," he said. "That's a very sacred kind of institution."