Well, it did eventually. For the glittering state banquet that evening, where she wore a canary yellow off-the-shoulder gown by Carolina Herrera teamed with a square-buckled candy-coloured belt. For a tour on Thursday, given by the Queen, of the royal library and to view Queen Mary’s dolls’ house (apparently the biggest in the world), where she wore a buttery caramel leather skirt suit. And for a joint engagement building bug houses and doing leaf stamping with children in Frogmore Gardens with the Princess of Wales), where Mrs Trump sported a tan suede safari jacket and white trousers. As two of the most famous women in the world stood and smiled together, there were no hats to be seen, though it did at times feel like a battle of the blow-dries.
In those more informal moments, the first lady appeared happier to be the centre of attention. And there were occasional nods to some of the traditional conventions of diplomatic dressing, such as wearing looks by designers from your host country: Dior is obviously French but now has a Northern Irishman, Jonathan Anderson, at its creative helm; there was also a classic Burberry trench that was floor-length, almost like a royal robe.
Still, that purple hat was the most memorable look of them all. It gave Mrs Trump an air of mystery and inaccessibility, of being both part of the extravaganza but also apart from it. An accessory that was a physical barrier between her and the shouts of protesters at the gates, the endless camera flashes and the occasionally unsolicited conversation, it spoke volumes.
All without her saying a word.
Elizabeth Paton © 2025 The Financial Times.
This article originally appeared in The Financial Times.
Source: CNA
