Melania Trump waves to the crowd after delivering a speech on the first day of the Republican National Convention on July 18, 2016 at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo : Getty Images/Alex Wong)
As Republican candidate Donald Trump triumphed in this week's United States presidential elections, the spotlight starts to focus on his wife, Melania Trump. The media wonder what is the future first lady hopes to bring to the White House.
When thinking of Melania, first-lady historians think of Jackie Kennedy, instead of Hillary Clinton, Michelle Obama or Eleanor Roosevelt. Melania is seen as having the inclination to the traditional role, such as in being a traditional social hostess in the White House.
United States first ladies have become not just good wives and mothers but are expected to be seen, like a celebrity, supporting their husbands and project what is good for the nation. Melania is expected to be in the center and front, USA Today reported. As the new First Lady of the United States, she has several first-ever landmarks.
Melania is the first FLOTUS who is foreign-born in over 191 years. She was born in Slovenia, Eastern Europe on April 26, 1970. She follows President John Quincy Adams' wife Louisa who was born in England in 1775.
The 46-year-old beauty is the first third wife for a FLOTUS as her president-elect husband married and divorced twice before marrying her. She is the first former fashion model who lived as Melania Knauss before meeting her husband at a fashion party. They tied the knot in 2005 and have one son, 10-year-old Barron William Trump.
The former model is the first to have posed nude with her images shown in The New York Post in 1995 and British GQ in 2000. She is the first who does not have English as a first language. She speaks native Slovenian as well as English, German, Serbian and French. Her being multi-lingual could come handy, as it did for President Kennedy, whose first lady spoke Spanish and French.
The new first lady was raised by her father Viktor Knavs, a Communist party member who managed car dealerships for the state-owned car maker. Her mother, Amalija Ulnik was a pattern maker at a textile factory.
Melania began modelling at 16 when photographer Stane Jerko saw her in Ljubljana as he left a fashion show. He did a trial photoshoot of her which led way to her promising modelling career.
At 18, Melania got a contract with Italian model agency ID in Milan and she also worked in Paris, gracing the world's catwalks and magazines. She currently runs a jewelry business, selling on shopping channel QVC, according to Mirror.
Listen to Melania's speech during the campaign in Pennsylvania below:
Save
