Queen Camilla hosted first lady Melania Trump for a private tour of Windsor Castle’s Royal Library, viewing a series of treasures meaningful to both countries.
The joint engagement underscores the close ties the United Kingdom is seeking to build with the Trump administration at what’s been a sensitive diplomatic moment, deploying the pageantry and star power of the royal family to impress.
Joined by curator Elizabeth Ashby and royal librarian Dr. Stella Panayotova, the first lady and the queen observed a series of miniature books and other rare items, including a miniature Sherlock Holmes book and a copy of A.A. Milne’s “Vespers,” the first literary appearance of Christopher Robin.
While they did not make formal remarks, the queen and the first lady chatted animatedly about the collections.
“Oh beautiful – this is very nice,” the first lady said.
“They’re such treasures,” said the queen.
Trump and Camilla later visited with local schoolchildren who were working on their own miniature books.
“You need to have very small writing so you can put all of the story inside the small book,” Trump told them.
For every state visit, Panayotova said in a video released by the royal family, the Royal Library team selects material and prepares an exhibition for their guests, aiming to “create a sense of a shared past.”
The first lady, who will later appear alongside Catherine, Princess of Wales, wore a dark tan leather suit with skirt for the engagement.
The queen and first lady flipped through a collection of old master drawings by Leonardo da Vinci and Raphael, then observed a 16th century poem and drawing from Queen Elizabeth I, as well as King Charles I’s copy of Shakespeare’s Second Folio, annotated by the king in the 17th century.