Here’s What Melania Trump Said On Her ‘Journey’ After the Death of Her ‘Beloved’ Mother

Melania Trump broke her social media silence as she remembered her mother, Amalija Knavs on Sunday. In an Instagram post, the former first lady thanked her followers for the many good wishes she and her family had received. Earlier on Thursday, January 18, at the Episcopal Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea in Palm Beach, Florida, the former first lady paid tribute to Knavs with an impassioned eulogy.

With the picture of her mother, Melania added a caption , “On behalf of my family, I would like to extend our deepest gratitude for the love and support that you have showered upon us throughout this journey of loss and grief. We will cherish the beautiful memories of my beloved mother, and forever keep her light in our hearts.”

Melania spoke about her mother at the eulogy, according to the Associated Press , “In her presence, the world seemed to shimmer with radiance and joy. Our bond was unbreakable.” With Melania’s father and the late Amalija’s husband, Viktor Knavs, the Trumps were spotted entering the Church of Bethesda by the Sea, where the burial ceremony was taking place. Two of the former president’s children from prior marriages, Tiffany and Ivanka Trump, were also present at the burial, accompanied by, Jared Kushner.

The former first lady also shared the message on X announcing her mother’s demise. She wrote , “It is with deep sadness that I announce the passing of my beloved mother, Amalija. Amalija Knavs was a strong woman who always carried herself with grace, warmth, and dignity. She was entirely devoted to her husband, daughters, grandson, and son-in-law. We will miss her, beyond measure and continue to honor and love her legacy.” In her birthplace of Sevnica, Slovenia, Melania’s mother worked for many years as a patternmaker in a factory that produced children’s clothes. This contributed to Melania’s love of fashion and her subsequent modeling career.

It was known that Knavs had been unwell, even if the reason for her death had not been disclosed. Melania skipped her husband’s New Year’s Eve party in Mar-a-Lago, Florida to be at her mother’s side. In a speech, Donald Trump broke the news, calling the circumstance “a very tough one.” As per Newsweek , he said, “Melania—great First Lady, so popular, the people love her—she’s now in a hospital with her mother. Her mother, Amalija, is very ill, but hopefully, she’ll be recovering. But she’s been very ill, so I want to say ‘hello’ to the First Lady—we just spoke, down in Miami, great hospital—and hopefully they’ll be ok, but it’s a tough one, it’s a very tough one. So she sends her love to everybody and she knows probably about 95 percent of the people here like I do. And we just want to wish Amalija that she gets better quickly.” Between 2017 and 2021, while Donald was the 45th president of the United States, Amalija was often seen visiting the White House.