Former first lady Melania Trump bid a heartfelt farewell to her mother, Amalija Knavs, in a private funeral held in Florida on Thursday morning. The 78-year-old Knavs passed away on January 9, and the memorial service took place at the Episcopal Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea in Palm Beach, near the Mar-a-Lago estate of Donald Trump.
During the 10 a.m. service, Melania, 53, delivered a moving eulogy, praising her mother’s nurturing spirit and unparalleled affection. She fondly described Amalija as the epitome of a perfect mother, wife, grandmother, and mother-in-law, highlighting her beauty and impeccable style that captivated many.
Clad in a black suit and dark sunglasses, Melania stood beside her father, Viktor Knavs, before rejoining her 17-year-old son, Barron Trump, in a pew. Before the service, she maintained composure as pallbearers brought Amalija’s flower-adorned coffin into the church, standing alongside her father and Barron. In contrast, Donald Trump stood on the other side of Barron.
The 77-year-old former president and current GOP presidential front-runner in a navy suit and black tie attended the funeral. The extended Trump family, including Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner, Tiffany Trump, and Kimberly Guilfoyle, were also at the service.
Donald Trump, who had faced a New York City defamation trial with writer E. Jean Carroll, took a day off to attend the funeral, expressing discontent with Judge Lewis Kaplan’s decision not to postpone the proceedings.
Before the funeral, Palm Beach issued traffic warnings due to the expected congestion around the church, known for hosting Trump and Melania’s glamorous 2005 wedding.
In his victory speech after winning the Iowa caucuses, Trump praised Amalija, describing her as unique and expressing pride in her watching from above. He also credited her cooking for their son Barron’s impressive height of 6 feet 7 inches.
Amalija Knavs is survived by her husband, daughter Melania, grandson Barron, and older daughter Ines. The Knavses, originally from Sevnica, Yugoslavia, maintained a relatively private life during Melania’s high-profile marriage to Trump.
In 2018, Amalija appeared at the launch of Melania’s “Be Best” campaign, and the couple became naturalized U.S. citizens that same year. Melania had sponsored her parents through the citizenship process.
Living with the Trump family at Mar-a-Lago in recent years, the Knavses were an integral part of their lives. Melania announced her mother’s passing with deep sadness, emphasizing Amalija’s strength, grace, warmth, and devotion to her family. The former first lady pledged to honour and cherish her mother’s legacy.
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