Catherine, Princess of Wales, and U.S. First Lady Melania Trump walked across the lawns of Windsor Castle in towering heels without apparent difficulty as President Donald Trump’s second state visit to the United Kingdom formally began on Wednesday.
The Princess of Wales and Prince William welcomed the Trumps in the Walled Garden of the Windsor estate before the four walked a short distance across spongy turf to Victoria House, where they joined King Charles III and Queen Camilla to launch the visit. Despite the tricky footing, both Catherine and Melania Trump traversed the grass in stilettos with measured steps that drew visible attention from photographers and onlookers.
For the engagement, Catherine wore a maroon Emilia Wickstead pleated, calf-length coat dress paired with a Jane Taylor hat reported to cost £2,330 and a burgundy Chanel Classic Flap bag she has carried on previous occasions. She accessorised with ruby earrings and a feather brooch that, according to palace accounts and reporting, once belonged to Diana, Princess of Wales and is set with 18 round-cut diamonds and small emeralds surrounding the Prince of Wales feathers symbol. Melania Trump appeared in a Christian Dior Haute Couture dark gray skirt suit that flared at the waist, a brighter purple wide-brim wool hat and a slick bun.
A Trump spokesperson said earlier in the week that the couple were "thrilled" Catherine would be "front and centre" during the state visit, adding that her participation had not been confirmed until shortly before owing to the princess’s health situation. Catherine is in remission from an undisclosed form of cancer and has been gradually returning to public duties since receiving treatment.
The pair joined the Trumps for a short carriage procession that also included King Charles and Queen Camilla. Photographs captured moments of the royals in conversation as they moved between buildings on the Windsor estate. King Charles was pictured speaking with the First Lady, while Queen Camilla, who missed a funeral earlier in the week because of ill health, was driven up to Windsor and was seen smiling as she took her place for the arrival.
Catherine’s choice of Emilia Wickstead continued a long association with the New Zealand-born designer. She has worn variations of the fit-and-flare coat dress on multiple occasions over the past decade, including a forest green version for a 2012 St. Patrick’s Day parade and pastel and coral iterations at later public events. Royal watchers note that the princess frequently repurposes and reprises familiar pieces from her wardrobe.
The state visit, described by organisers as historic, will include a series of formal events and engagements across the country. The welcome at Windsor Castle marked the ceremonial start of the itinerary, with further private and public meetings scheduled in London in the days ahead.
Officials on both sides kept much of the detailed schedule close to vest in advance of the trip, but photographs and on-the-ground reporting provided a clear visual record of the opening moments: exchanges between the principal figures, coordinated styling choices and the careful navigation of uneven surfaces in formal footwear as the two political families began the visit.
Catherine and William have appeared alongside visiting heads of state on numerous occasions in recent years; this engagement follows a period of reduced public activity for the princess. The Trumps visited with the Waleses and the monarchs in public and private settings during Wednesday’s programme, marking the outset of what aides described as a high-profile diplomatic visit between the United States and the United Kingdom.