Melania Trump accompanied the Princess of Wales for a daylight engagement at Windsor on Thursday, meeting a group of Scouts Squirrels in Frogmore Gardens as part of Melania's Windsor visit ahead of her departure to Chequers with the prime minister. Catherine, 43, wore a Ralph Lauren skirt and a Sudbury Mill scarf, a more understated look than the glitter of the previous night’s state banquet, when she wore an ensemble that showcased the royal family’s ceremonial jewelry and couture.
On arrival, they were welcomed by Dwayne Fields, the Chief Scout, and joined two groups of Squirrels—the youngest part of the UK Scouting organisation designed for four- to five-year-olds—who were working to earn their Go Wild badge in Frogmore Gardens. The two women participated in activities with the children, including building a bug hotel and leaf printing using fallen leaves collected from the gardens. The visit offered the youngsters a hands-on experience with nature as part of the ongoing royal guidance of youth and outdoor learning. Kate and Melania also led a badge presentation for the Squirrels and hosted a picnic in the gardens.
Catherine has been joint president of the Scouts with the Duke of Kent since 2020. The day’s programme included a special packed lunch prepared by the Princess for the children, with each sandwich containing honey produced by the Wales family hives at Anmer Hall. In addition, the First Lady was to gift a jar of White House honey to each child as a memento of the day. A spokesman for the couple noted that the wellbeing of young children is a priority for both the Princess and Melania, underscoring the pair’s shared interest in enabling children to experience the natural world. The Gardens at Frogmore Estate, where the Scouts meet, sit on the grounds of Frogmore House and Frogmore Cottage, which has its own recent royal resonance given the Sussexes’ 2019 residence and subsequent relocation.
Earlier in the day, Queen Camilla accompanied Melania Trump on a tour of Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House at Windsor Castle, described as the largest and most famous dolls’ house in the world. The dolls’ house, built between 1921 and 1924 for Queen Mary by Sir Edwin Lutyens, is renowned for its meticulous miniature detailing created by more than 1,500 artists, craftspeople and manufacturers of the early 20th century. Mrs. Trump was also taken on a tour of the Royal Library and its priceless treasures, including miniature books and other archival holdings.
The day’s events form part of a broader schedule tied to Melania Trump’s Windsor visit, which began with a state banquet last night attended by King Charles, Queen Camilla and senior royals. Royal observers described the banquet as meticulously planned, with Kate’s attire drawing particular attention. The Princess wore a Phillipa Lepley silk crepe gown beneath a hand-embroidered gold Chantilly lace evening coat, complemented by the late Queen Elizabeth II’s and Charles’s Royal Family Order and a sapphire—though the star of the outfit remained the Lover’s Knot Tiara, historically associated with Princess Diana. Prince William wore the Windsor Uniform with the blue sash and star of the Order of the Garter, among other honors.
The monarchs’ daily calendar for the visit, which runs through the end of today, has included curated experiences designed to blend ceremonial tradition with outreach and cultural exchange. The Transatlantic Whisky Sour, a bespoke cocktail created for the occasion to reflect a UK/US collaboration, highlighted the event’s diplomatic tone, though President Trump is a teetotaler and did not participate in wine tastings during the banquet. Preparations for the state banquet—three days of careful planning and six months of coordination—underscore the depth of the planning behind the royal-hosted events and the emphasis on cultural and charitable programming.
The Scouts’ afternoon at Windsor and the Dolls’ House and Royal Library tours reinforce the Princess of Wales’s long-standing commitment to engaging children with nature and learning, a theme she has championed publicly for years. Melania Trump’s Windsor visit, while framed by formal diplomacy, also carried moments of informal connection with families and schoolchildren, reflecting the broader cultural and educational aims of the trip.