Just minutes after arriving at Windsor Castle for her second state visit to the UK, Melania Trump reportedly shared a heartfelt admission with the Princess of Wales.
Stepping off the Marine One helicopter alongside her husband, US President Donald Trump, the 55-year-old was warmly welcomed by Prince William and Kate Middleton on Tuesday (17 September).
The meeting between the First Lady and Princess Kate had been highly anticipated, with many observers eager to see the two women together, both often praised for their fashion sense.
Official photographs captured their smiles as they shook hands, while videos later showed the Waleses escorting the Trumps through the castle gardens, where they were joined by King Charles III and Queen Camilla. The six were seen engaging in light conversation.
The Lip Reader’s Claim
One of these clips has since drawn attention after professional lip reader Nicola Hickling analyzed it, suggesting Melania made a surprisingly emotional remark.
Speaking to Tyla on behalf of Betfair Casino, Hickling claimed Kate initiated the exchange by commenting: “Your Macintosh is the same one I have, I wear it each time I fly.”
Melania allegedly responded warmly: “I know, it’s exceptional and such a comfort. Sometimes I wear it to the house.”
According to Hickling, the First Lady then admitted: “Sometimes when I come, I don’t want to go back,” a comment interpreted as a sign of her fondness for the UK, and perhaps unease about the US.
A Backdrop of Violence
Although Hickling did not directly connect Melania’s words to recent events, her supposed confession comes just a week after the assassination of her husband’s ally, right-wing activist Charlie Kirk.
Kirk was fatally shot during a debate at Utah Valley University on 10 September by 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, who had been hiding on a rooftop.
This follows several incidents targeting Donald Trump himself, including a shooting at a Pennsylvania rally last year where he was grazed by a bullet and another attendee was killed. Weeks later, an armed man carrying an AK-47-style rifle was discovered on his Florida property.
Reflecting on the turmoil, Melania previously shared: “I saw how they treated him, how the media was against him. I think they are afraid of his strength, and he was leading this country with peace through strength. So, as soon he announced that he was running for the presidency, everything really changed.
“And I saw it, and I said, you know, this will not be very pleasant. So I always said to him, ‘What is next?’.
“In one way, you’re not surprised, and with every event that happened, I kept thinking, ‘What’s next? What are they trying to do?’.”
Security and Politics on the Agenda
Ahead of the Trumps’ visit, former UK ambassador to the US Lord Kim Darroch suggested political violence could well be among the subjects raised in discussions with the royals.
“Security is tightly bound with America. So, this is a real opportunity to submit to those links to make the best of it,” Darroch said.
He also predicted that Ukraine would feature heavily in talks, explaining: “First of all, [there are] difficult discussions potentially on Ukraine, because the American proposal seems to be: if we Europeans want America to put more pressure on Putin, we need to be prepared to levy heavy tariffs on China and India over their oil purchases from Russia.
“We all want to put pressure on Putin, but that proposal is very, very tricky.”