It was her first solo foreign engagement representing the United States as First Lady.
So Melania Trump was unsurprisingly relieved to see a friendly face in Justin Trudeau as she arrived at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto ahead of the Invictus games opening ceremony on Saturday night.
As soon as she clapped eyes on the Canadian Prime Minister and his family, Melania lit up and offered herself for a warm embrace.
Her excitement was reciprocated by Trudeau who lept in for a hug and a kiss, delicately enveloping the First Lady and her Dior dogtooth suit.
His wife, Sophie Gregoire Trudeau, was just as welcoming and gave Melania just as warm a greeting.
Melania Trump greets Justin Trudeau at the Air Canada Center in Toronto on Saturday as his daughter Ella-Grace watches
The pair were excited to be in one another’s company and wasted no time reaching in for a hug in front of Trudeau’s family
Melania, still wearing the Dior dogtooth suit she had on throughout the day, was delighted to see a friendly face after a day of official solo engagements without her husband
Their rendezvous came less than a week after the two first ladies met in New York at a luncheon to coincide with the UN General Assembly on Wednesday.
Melania was still dressed in the sharp suit she’d worn earlier in the day to meet Prince Harry.
She was decidedly more animated in her greeting of Trudeau than she was when she sat down with the British Royal.
The First Lady was also delighted by the sight of two of Trudeau’s children, Ella Grace, eight, and Xavier, nine.
She politely shook hands with Ella-Grace after giving her parents a kiss hello.
Her body language told a very different story than that shown when she met Harry earlier in the day.
The First Lady extended just as warm a welcome to Trudeau’s wife, Sophie Gregoire Trudeau
She shook hands with the couple’s eight-year-old daughter Ella-Grace and also said hello to their nine-year-old son Xavier
The Trudeau family had been waiting inside for Melania at the Air Canada Center. They were joined by Canada’s Veterans Affairs Minister Seamus O’Regan
The Prime Minister joked along with his youngest child who was dressed sweetly for the occasion in a black and lace dress
Melania seemed much more relaxed than earlier in the day as she spoke in front of National Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan
Indeed according to body language expert Patti Wood, Melania appeared uptight and nervous during their 30-minute one-on-one.
Melania’s closed-off posture and tense shoulders revealed she was nervous – a predictable observation for the First Lady’s first solo foreign engagement.
‘There’s a lot of tension. It’s polite but beyond that to a slight fear and tension like “Am I doing the right thing?”‘ she said.
Harry, who is usually laid back and welcoming, was subdued and restrained and did not want to appear to be too excited about his sit-down with the First Lady, she explained.
‘He started with his hands clasped and he’s gesturing very low to the body. It felt like he needed to protect himself during the interaction.’
By the time she took her seat in the VIP box next to him, the pair both appeared to have loosened up somewhat.
Melania and Trudeau later joined Prince Harry and the Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko in the VIP box inside the stadium
The First Lady proudly rose to her feet to applaud some of the 550 athletes taking place in the third Invictus games
Prince Harry’s girlfriend, Suits actress Meghan Markle, sat in the stadium 18 seats away from him and Melania
Melania rose to her feet to cheer on athletes, smiling widely as they entered the stadium as part of the Parade of Nations.
Prince Harry indulged her in some small talk. The 33-year-old could be forgiven for being a little distracted given that his 36-year-old girlfriend, Suits starlet Meghan Markle, was placed 18 rows away with a friend.
It was Meghan’s first appearance at an official event with Harry since their romance was confirmed by Kensington Palace last year.
Because they are not engaged, Royal protocol prohibits her from sitting next to him at official engagements.
She was joined instead by her friend Markus Anderson, a Soho House Group consultant who is credited with introducing the pair last year.
Markle clapped proudly as Harry wrapped up his speech on stage before making a swift exit with her friend before the ceremony officially drew to a close.
Earlier in the day, Melania was less relaxed as she took part in a formal meeting with Prince Harry