Melania, 47, and Ivanka Trump, 35, are the US President Donald Trump’s leading ladies.
Melania holds the title of First Lady and accompanies her husband on almost all matters of state.
Ivanka has an evolving role in Trump’s White House and has even been known to attend events in the absence of her father.
But working in such close proximity, what do both women really think of one another? Body language expert Judi James has analysed three pictures of the ladies interacting with another on separate occasions and gives her verdict.
Speaking to Express.co.uk Judi said: “Prior to his stint in The White House appeared to like nothing better than posing with these two women as bookends, flanking him on either side and positioned as equals to one another (if not him). This look seemed to have the objective of raising his alpha profile and both women seemed to play along, complimenting his all-powerful male look by posing like beauty pageant queens.
“Now their roles have taken a different and more serious tone with Melania as FLOTUS, following in the footsteps of one of the most charismatic First Ladies ever, while Ivanka plays the role of King’s Hand, chief support, adviser and even stand-in at world leadership occasions.
“The role of First Lady seems to have driven Melania into a Mount Rushmore-esqe stony facial expression at times and those times are often when she is around her step-daughter. Ivanka, on the other hand, often seems to adopt a more active role in terms of presenting the pair as close fiends and allies but Melania’s responses don’t often create a complimentary ‘fit’, making her sometimes appear rather frosty in response to Ivanka’s friendlier-looking facial expressions.”
Picture one – the inauguration
The women did seem to have selected outfits that were matching enough to project an impression of sisterly unity here but while Ivanka emphasis that look by turning to chat to her stepmother Melania performs what looks suspiciously like an ‘ignore’by staring coldly ahead, not even inclining her head.
Their bodies are touching at the arm, suggesting a more easy-going closeness, but the formality of Melania’s response makes her look higher in status here, as though she takes the whole business of high office more seriously.
Picture two – chatting
Ivanka does allow herself to take on a more youthful ‘daughter’ role now and again, using cut poses with her father and this over-congruent, fun smile with her step mother.
Her eye expression is hidden but her proximity and the size of her smile suggest she’s promoting a look of open jollity to get some approval and mirroring signals from Melania.
The pose part-way works. You can see Melania’s face reflected in Ivanka’s shades and she is smiling but this is a long way from their ‘book end’ days of total mirroring as the smile is much more tempered than Ivanka’s.
Picture three – sitting together
There are several signals of rapport here, from the mirrored, upright torsos and the proximity of the hand clasps to the way the legs are crossed toward one another, but there is no connection in terms of facial response (they are even looking in different directions) that could suggest warmth.
There is one rather telling factor in terms of the women’s different approaches to formal occasions too. Confidence and status can be shown in the size of the armpit gap. A large splay (when someone sits with their hands behind their head for instance) will signal overconfidence and arrogance while a total lack of splay can show anxiety and a lack of confidence via a desire to self-hug.
Ivanka’s ‘upturned V’ gap lowers her shoulders and stretches the line of her neck as well as providing the ‘ideal’ subtle arm splay that signals high levels of confidence and status.
Melania on the other hand is self-diminished. Her arms are clamped to her sides, closing the gap under the armpit and raising the shoulders in a way that suggests higher levels of tension or anxiety and even subconscious feelings of being under ‘attack’.
Donald Trump and Ivanka Trump appear to have a close relationship both as father and daughter and business-wise, but what does the pair’s body language when they are together really reveal about their relationship?