Inside Melania Trump's 'unforgettable' bond with pen pal King Charles
King Charles and Melania Trump met back in 2005Melania Trump name-dropped King Charles in her memoir, declaring they were keen pen pals after she and husband Donald met the royal family back in 2018.
Melania and Donald Trump first visited Britain that year, and enjoyed tea with the late Queen Elizabeth II at Windsor Castle. The following year, the couple were invited on an official state visit back to the country, which they gladly accepted.
It would be the second visit that helped cement the unlikely friendship between Melania Trump and King Charles – and the former model revealed they’ve been pen pals ever since.
King Charles’ dinner with Melania and Donald Trump
Melania and His Majesty actually ‘crossed paths’ years before their initial state visit in 2019, when the royal was in New York in 2005. When she met him once again on British soil, she gushed how it was an “absolute pleasure to reconnect” with him.
Mrs Trump wrote fondly about the royal family, King Charles and her visit to the UK in her memoir, Melania, when it released in October 2024.
The mum-of-one explained on the first night of their visit, the President and First Lady hosted a dinner in honour of the then Prince Charles and Duchess of Cornwall. The event took place at Winfield House in London, home to the US Ambassador.
She wrote: “Donald and I hosted an intimate dinner in honour of Prince Charles and the Duchess at the US ambassador’s residence—a perfect expression of the enduring ties between our nations.”
Melania went on to praise how the royal family gave the Trumps a warm welcome.
She added: “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.”
Melania Trump and King Charles are ‘pen pals to this day’
She added that the couple had invited the late Queen to visit the United States, but sadly, it never came to be before her death in September 2022.
However, she explicitly spoke of her friendship with the royals and how she and King Charles are still pen pals years later.
Melania continued: “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 her death in 2022, but our friendship with the Royal Family continues, and we exchange letters with King Charles to this day.”
Donald and Melania return for second state visit
The US President and First Lady touched down in the UK this week for their second official state visit (September 16).
The first day of engagements were jam-packed with Princess Kate and Prince William greeting the couple before heading to meet Charles and Camilla. After Charles showed off the royal guard to the president – before giving him a warning – the royals headed to Windsor Castle for a lavish state banquet dinner.
The king spoke of the special friendship between the two countries, while Donald commented on how ‘radiant’ and ‘beautiful’ Kate was.
Trump appeared to make a dig at William’s brother Harry, by telling the monarch he had raised a ‘remarkable’ son – referring to the heir.
The next day, Camilla spent time with Melania before the First Lady joined Kate with a day out with the Scouts.
The couple headed home on the evening of Thursday (September 18).
Monarch’s love of letter writing
King Charles enjoys the art of writing letters, so it’s no surprise that he and Melania Trump would become pen pals. However, she’s not his only one!
Charles also penned a note to Donald following his assassination attempt at a Pennsylvania rally ahead of the election.
The king has sent private letters to many presidents and first ladies over the years, as well as other high-profile names.
Read more: What the Queen really thought of Donald Trump – and that conspiracy theory about Melania
But, the royal wrote letters to another first lady, Nancy Reagan, after he and Princess Diana visited the White House back in 1981. The pair continued corresponding until her death in 2016. In one letter, Charles mentioned the famous moment between Lady Diana and John Travolta on the dance floor. He said she “still hasn’t got over dancing with John Travolta, Neil Diamond and Clint Eastwood in one evening, not to mention the president of the United States as well!”
He also opened up about the breakdown of their marriage. In 1992, in a letter to Reagan, he called the ordeal a “kind of Greek tragedy”, saying “it is so awful. Very few people would believe it”.
But, Charles doesn’t just write to heads of states and presidents, his penship has reached the hands of others around the world. From comedian Miriam Margolyes to Australian stand-up comic Kathy Lette.
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