Melania Trump and Donald Trump first met at a party in a nightclub in September 1998 and began dating soon after. Donald had been married twice before and was in the process of getting divorced when he met Melania. In 2004, the US President popped the question with a ring and the couple tied the knot the following year in Florida. Melania has a beautiful diamond engagement ring, but did it cost more than Donald’s ex-wives rings?
Melania dated her businessman boyfriend for six years before they married and the wedding took place on 22 January 2005.
The former model married in an Anglican service in Florida before celebrating at a reception which took place in Donald’s Mar-a-Lago estate.
Melania Trump ring
The diamond ring was bought from Graff Diamonds and was reported to cost a whopping £1.1 million at the time.
The ring is said to be a D-flawless diamond which means it is a very rare jewel which will have been thoroughly checked to ensure it had no flaws.
Donald originally claimed he got the diamond for half price, which means Melania’s ring could actually be worth a shocking £2.2 million.
However, Graff Diamonds debunked these rumours, stating he did not receive any discounts.
Ivana Trump ring
The US President was first married in 1977 when he tied the knot with the Czech model, Ivana Trump.
When the couple married, Donald stayed quiet on how much the ring cost and signed a prenup that allowed Ivana to keep any jewellery, suggesting it didn’t cost much at all.
The pair had three children together but separated 15 years later in 1992.
Marla Maples ring
Donald quickly married again, when he said his nuptials with the actress Marla Maples in 1993.
The former businessman gave her a 7.45 carat Harry Winston diamond ring, however the pair officially got divorced in 1999.
After splitting up, Marla sold her engagement ring for around £90,700 and it was sold again at an auction in 2016, where it fetched around £247,000.
When Melania and Donald got married, it seemed he didn’t hold back and splashed out the most for her ring.
Melania Trump: Five facts about the USA’s First Lady
Languages
Mum-of-one Melania can speak more languages than any other First Lady before her: English, French, German, Italian, Serbian and of course her mother tongue, Slovenian.
This also makes her the only First Lady whose first language is not English.
Religion
After Jacqueline Kennedy, Melania is the second First Lady who is a practising Catholic.
She met Pope Francis as part of a foreign tour with her husband and stepdaughter Ivanka last year.
Career
Melania was a successful model, posing for Sports Illustrated, Vanity Fair, Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar and GQ.
Her skills aren’t confined to print, and she appeared in a commercial for Aflac, an American insurance company, in 2005.
Family
Melania’s parents are Amalija Knavs and Viktor Knavs, and the couple live together in Washington.
She has one sister, Ines, who is reported to live in New York and work as an artist.
Charity
On May 7 2018, Melania launched her flagship campaign as First Lady, BE BEST, which The White House describes as “an awareness campaign focused entirely around the well-being of children”.
There are three main strands to the initiative: well-being, social media, and opioid abuse.