'THE START OF A VERY WARM RELATIONSHIP'

Why the Princess of Wales's special invitation was 'absolutely' the highlight of the state visit for America's First Lady

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Looking relaxed, chatting and exchanging smiles, the Princess of Wales and Melania Trump could not have seemed happier to spend time together in the autumn sunshine, proving the strength of their own close bond and the genuine connection within the wider special relationship between the US and the UK.

As they joined four- and five-year-olds from the Squirrels, the youngest branch of the Scouts, for a series of nature-based activities in the grounds of Frogmore House, they were a world away from the formality and opulence of the lavish state banquet that they had attended the night before.

Yet their first official joint engagement had every bit as much significance for the future of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

"You could very much see how warm and friendly they were after spending time together," said a Kensington Palace source. "They were chatting away and they both really enjoyed the engagement. The First Lady was super-relaxed and she really enjoyed her time with the Princess."

SERIOUS SOFT POWER

As President Trump sat down for talks with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer at Chequers, Melania remained at Windsor Castle, where she was hosted first by the Queen — on a visit to the Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House and the Royal Library — and then by Kate, in a sign of soft-power diplomacy at its finest.

The highly anticipated invitation to join the Princess was “absolutely” the highlight of the trip for the First Lady, White House sources tell HELLO!. “It’s definitely the start of what looks set to be a very warm, long-term relationship between Kate and Melania,” says another source.