Melania Trump emotionally bid farewell to her late mother, Amalija Knavs, highlighting her enduring legacy in a touching tribute

Former First Lady Melania Trump poured her heart out in a touching farewell to her late mother, Amalija Knavs, asserting that she has left behind a ‘legacy that will endure for generations.’

Melania took charge of the procession to bid her mother farewell at a church near Mar-a-Lago on Thursday morning, leading the way with grace and poise.

Decked in a sombre black dress suit and sunglasses, the ex-First Lady, alongside her father Viktor Knavs, entered the private service at The Episcopal Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea in Palm Beach, Florida. The hearse arrived midmorning, with Melania and her husband following closely behind in an SUV, accompanied by two other vehicles. Melania was the sole speaker among the numerous attendees, delivering a poignant eulogy.

Reflecting on her mother’s nurturing spirit, Melania remarked, ‘Her legacy knows no bounds, a legacy that will resonate through the ages.’ Amalija Knavs, who passed away at 78 on January 9, was celebrated by her daughter for showering her grandson Barron with love, care, and unwavering devotion.

‘In her presence, we were enveloped in the warmth of her embrace. We will be forever grateful for the unparalleled affection she bestowed upon us,’ Melania shared emotionally, emphasising her mother’s role as the epitome of a mother, wife, grandmother, and mother-in-law, a true ‘beacon of love and luxury’ in their lives.

Melania, clad in a black dress suit and sunglasses, walked alongside her father, Viktor Knavs, into the church. The former president, Donald Trump, sat nearby as Melania described how her mother made the world ‘shimmer with radiance and joy.’

Expressing the unbreakable bond they shared, Melania recalled precious moments travelling with her mother, father, and sister, where ‘conversations flowed effortlessly with grace and charm.’ She acknowledged her mother’s support during the Trump family’s victories and in challenging times.

‘My beloved mother, rest in peace,’ Melania concluded, stepping off the pulpit, standing in front of Knavs’ casket, and tenderly touching the case.

The funeral, attended by prominent figures including Melania and Donald Trump’s son Barron, daughters Ivanka and Tiffany, Ivanka’s husband Jared Kushner, and Republican Senators Lindsey Graham and Rick Scott, witnessed a solemn atmosphere. A priest held an urn of incense, a man carried a cross, and Knavs’ coffin was carefully lifted from the church and placed on a hearse.

Melania, alongside her father and followed by her husband and Barron, walked behind the hearse. The former First Lady and her husband exchanged words with the priest before Donald Trump led Melania and her father to an SUV, while he got into a separate vehicle.

Amalija Knavs’ illness was not disclosed publicly. Melania had missed the Trump family’s Christmas photo at Mar-a-Lago, revealing later that she had been by her sick mother’s bedside at a hospital in Miami.

The Knavses, who raised Melania and her older sister in Sevnica, Slovenia, were commemorated in the same church where Melania and the former president exchanged vows in 2005. Trump, missing the third day of the second defamation trial in New York brought by rape accuser E Jean Carroll, attended the funeral to bid farewell to his mother-in-law.