Melania Trump seemed in high spirits as she and President Donald Trump welcomed the Australian Prime Minister and his wife on Friday, after several weeks of appearing distant from the president following cheating allegations.
The first lady, 47, flashed a bright smile next to her husband, 71, as they greeted Malcom Turnbull and his wife, Lucy Turnbull, at the south entrance of the White House.
For the occasion, Melania wore a $3,595 gold-trimmed, double-breasted coat from Dolce & Gabbana, one of her favorite designers, paired with equally sparkly, golden snakeskin five-inch stilettos.
Visit: Melania Trump seemed in high spirits as she and President Donald Trump welcomed the Australian Prime Minister and his wife on Friday
Sartorial: For the occasion, Melania wore a $3,595 gold-trimmed, double-breasted coat from Dolce & Gabbana, one of her favorite designers
Meetings: The first lady later sat with her husband and the Turnbulls in the Oval Office
Details: She paired her gold-accented coat with matching golden snakeskin stilettos
Melania, who was bare legs, donned her signature blow-out as well as a smoky eye, and finished off her outfit with a French manicure.
She later sat with her husband and the Turnbulls in the Oval Office while the official visit began.
Her sunny disposition contrasted with her recent behavior, which has seen her shunning public appearances with her husband and keeping her distances.
However, Donald and Melania weren’t photographed holding hands at any point during Friday’s visit.
Last month, the pair arrived separately to his State Of The Union address, breaking with tradition.
Their arrival followed claims that Donald had a sexual encounter with porn star Stormy Daniels after Melania and Donald’s son Barron, now 11, was born.
Change: Her sunny disposition contrasted with her recent behavior, which has seen her shunning public appearances with her husband and keeping her distances
Look: Melania, who was bare legs, donned her signature blow-out as well as a smoky eye, and finished off her outfit with a French manicure
United: The first lady stood by her husband as they pair and the Turnbulls posed for photos
Pensive: She looked in the distance while she and Donald waited for the Australian couple
Warm: When the Turnbulls arrived, Melania seemed relaxed and happy to see them
Unsuccessful: Last week, Donald tried to grab Melania’s hand, or at least her thumb, while arriving in Florida, but the first lady ignored his attempt
Last week, Melania skipped the South Lawn when she and her husband left Washington, D.C. to travel to Florida in the wake of the Parkland shooting.
Instead, she met him directly on Air Force One, when usually the president and his wife would have been photographed leaving the White House together to board the aircraft.
When Donald and Melania deplaned, the president appeared to try to grab his wife’s hand, or at least her thumb, but she ignored his attempt.
On that same day, a report by the New Yorker featured a Playboy playmate saying she had an affair with Donald in 2006, when Barron was a newborn.
Distance: There has been visible tension between the Trumps amid cheating accusations
Schedule: This Friday, though, Melania and Donald put on a united front. The leaders shook hands before going inside for meetings, a working lunch and a joint news conference
Company: Melania seemed especially pleased to welcome the Australian first lady
Diplomacy: Relations between the president and the Australian Prime Minister got off to a tumultuous start shortly after Donald took office
Together again: Melania has in the past few weeks declined to be seen with her husband on a couple of occasions
Turmoil: The president has been accused of having affairs with two different women after the birth of his and Melania’s son Barron, now 11
This Friday, though, Melania and Donald put on a united front. The leaders shook hands before going inside for meetings, a working lunch and a joint news conference.
Relations between the president and the Australian Prime Minister got off to a tumultuous start shortly after Donald took office.
They sparred during a contentious telephone call over a plan for the U.S. to accept refugees that had been agreed to by former President Barack Obama.
Joe Hockey, Australia’s ambassador to the US, says the two men ‘understand each other’ now and enjoy each other’s company.
According to Hockey, the former businessmen share a ‘common language’.