King Charles Is Set to Reunite With Melania Trump, His Unexpected Pen Pal
King Charles and Buckingham Palace are getting ready to welcome Donald and Melania Trump to the United Kingdom this September, but beyond it being just another state occasion, it will also be a reunion with a rather unexpected pen pal. For several years now, the King and the former U.S. First Lady have kept up a correspondence, exchanging letters on shared passions like “architecture, gardens, and the arts.”
In her memoir, Melania revealed and said, “We kept in touch through letters, exchanging thoughts and ideas regularly.” Their unlikely connection will once again move from page to face as Windsor Castle prepares for the state visit. The Trumps are due to arrive between September 12 and 19 for an official stay that includes a state banquet hosted by the King with Queen Camilla. Buckingham Palace confirmed the visit, calling it the second such invitation extended to Donald Trump, an unprecedented honor for a U.S. president, Marie Claire reported.
It has been five years since Charles and Melania last met, during the Trumps’ 2019 visit to Britain when they were hosted by Queen Elizabeth II. Reflecting on that trip, Melania had written, “As we bid farewell to Her Majesty, we extended a cordial invitation for her return visit to the United States. She expressed her gratitude with a warm smile. Sadly, Her Majesty wasn’t able to visit with us again before she died in 2022, but our friendship with the Royal Family continues, and we exchange letters with King Charles to this day.”
That earlier trip also offered a glimpse of the growing rapport between Charles and the then–First Lady. At the state banquet, Melania, recalling her time there, penned down, “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, as per Hello! ” She later described the banquet as “formal and elegant.”
The visit also included a more intimate moment, when the Trumps hosted the then-Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall for dinner at the U.S. ambassador’s residence. “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 had expressed.
Donald Trump himself has spoken warmly about his ties to the King. Earlier this year, he said, “I’m a friend of Charles, I have great respect for King Charles and the family, William.” Despite political turbulence at the time of their last encounter — with Brexit dominating headlines and Downing Street in flux — Melania recalls being struck by the Royal Family’s gracious welcome. “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,” she wrote.
This autumn’s visit, however, brings a new chapter, the King and his long-distance correspondent finally meeting again, in person, after years of exchanging letters.