Featured Image Credit: Ian Vogler - WPA Pool/Getty Images
Topics: Melania Trump, US News, UK News, Royal Family, Kate Middleton
Rhianna Benson
Topics: Melania Trump, US News, UK News, Royal Family, Kate Middleton
A human behaviour expert has assessed footage of Donald and Melania Trump's arrival at Windsor Castle earlier today, and apparently, has a lot to say about the First Lady's hat.
For those out of the loop with the couple's transatlantic expedition, the Trumps landed on UK soil on Tuesday (16 Sept) for their second state visit, becoming the first political leaders to be invited back twice. The late Queen Elizabeth II had hosted the pair back in 2019.
This morning, following a good night's sleep, the Americans' Marine One helicopter landed in the gardens of King Charles III and Queen Camilla in Windsor, where they were first greeted by the Prince and Princess of Wales.
Social media spectators had long awaited the Trumps' arrival, hoping to catch a glimpse of Melania and Kate Middleton for their first public get-together, being that they're both often credited for their sharp eye for fashion.
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Following her husband out of the aircraft, however, all eyes were immediately drawn to 55-year-old Melania - or, more specifically, the ginormous piece of headwear sitting atop her head.
The mother-of-one - who shares son Barron, 19, with the US President - had paired a rather chic charcoal grey two-piece suit with an extreme wide-brimmed burgundy hat - and by the sounds of things, onlookers couldn't keep their eyes off it.
"Melania has deployed the big hat," one jibed on X (formerly Twitter) in response. Another joked: "I’m sure that I saw Melania’s hat on sale yesterday in the John Lewis lighting department."
Apparently, however, the First Lady's choice of headwear was entirely conscious.
In fact, body language expert Inbaal Honigman says the reason for this extravagant hat in particular is likely two-fold.
"This is not the first time we observe Melania in a low, wide-brimmed hat," she told Tyla today on behalf of OLBG. "In body language terms, this serves two functions."
Honigman continued: "Firstly, it creates a safe space around her so nobody can get too close. Secondly, the hat can act as a cloak of invisibility, allowing the First Lady to employ all manner of facial expressions undetected.
"So much of non-verbal communication is executed by facial expressions that it can be more than 50% of body language."
The human behaviour expert went on to reveal: "As the wide-brimmed hat slung low, it hides Melania’s forehead, eyebrows and - to a certain extent - her eyes, therefore making it hard to detect any sense of annoyance or frustration.
"Those emotions are conveyed via the forehead, the eyebrows, and eyes."
As she said, this is far from the first time that the First Lady has opted for an elaborate piece of headwear for a public outing.
Back in January, she went viral for wearing a black and white ensemble to her husband's White House inauguration, which was topped off with - you guessed it - a wide-brimmed hat.
Then, however, many spectators saw the number as a pleasant distraction from the changing in political tides.
"Love Melania's hat! Why can't we all wear hats & gloves again? So stylish," one gushed online. Another claimed they were 'living for Melania’s hat moment'.