Melania Trump gives heartfelt eulogy at funeral of ‘beloved mummy’

Ms Knavs — who died on January 9 aged 78 — was honoured at a service at the Episcopal Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea in Palm Beach, Florida, not far from Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, the New York Post reported.

She was noticeably absent from the Trump family Christmas gathering– reportedly to care for her ailing mum.

Mrs Trump, 53, delivered an emotional eulogy that paid tribute to her mother’s “nurturing spirit” and “unparalleled affection”.

“She embodied the best mother, wife, grandmother, mother-in-law – a true beacon of love and luxury in our lives,” the former model said, noting her mother’s “beauty and impeccable sense of style” that “turned the heads of many”.

“She’s a true inspiration, a role model to me, and to so many,” she added.

Mrs Trump concluded the seven-minute speech by saying “Rest in peace, my beloved mummy.”

She embraced her father, Viktor Knavs, before sitting back down in a pew next to her son, 17-year-old Barron Trump.

Shortly before the service began, Melania Trump looked stoic in a black suit and dark sunglasses as pallbearers brought her mother’s coffin – which was draped in white flowers – into the picturesque church.

She stood in between her father and Barron, while Donald Trump stood on his youngest son’s other side.

The 77-year-old former president and current Republican presidential frontrunner appeared solemn in a navy blue suit and black tie.

The extended Trump family — including Ivanka Trump and her husband, Jared Kushner, Tiffany Trump and Kimberly Guilfoyle, fiancee of Donald Trump Jr — were also seen arriving at the church before the service began.

Mr Trump notably missed a day of his New York City defamation trial with writer E Jean Carroll to attend his mother-in-law’s funeral — after fuming at the judge’s refusal to delay the proceedings for the event.

“I thought it was terrible. I thought it was terrible,” Mr Trump said at a press conference in New York on Wednesday of Judge Lewis Kaplan’s decision.

The real estate mogul slammed Judge Kaplan as a “nasty man” and a “Trump-hating guy”.

Ahead of the funeral, the town of Palm Beach issued traffic warnings alerting locals to congestion near the church, which was also the site of Trump and Melania’s star-studded 2005 nuptials, the Palm Beach Daily News reported.

Mr Trump praised his late mother-in-law in his victory speech after winning the Iowa caucuses on Monday night.

“I want to thank her incredible, beautiful mother who passed away a few days ago,” Mr Trump said.

“And she’s up there, way up there. She’s looking down and she’s so proud of us,” he told the crowd.

“And I just want to say to Amalija, you are special, one of the most special people I’ve ever known,” he added of the Slovenian American.

At a campaign rally, the former president also credited Ms Knavs’ cooking as the reason why their son, Barron Trump, is two metres tall, the Daily News noted.

In addition to her husband, daughter and grandson, Ms Knavs is survived by her older daughter, Ines.

The Knavses raised their two girls in Sevnica, a rural industrial town in what was then part of Communist-ruled Yugoslavia and is now Slovenia.

Ms Knavs and her husband remained relatively private during their daughter’s high-profile marriage to Mr Trump — though they occasionally appeared at the White House during their son-in-law’s presidency.

In 2018, Ms Knavs appeared at her daughter’s launch of the “Be Best” campaign.

That same year, Ms Knavs and her husband became naturalised US citizens through the process that allows adult citizens to help their relatives get green cards and permanent resident status, the New York Times reported.

Mrs Trump — who changed her surname from Knavs to Knauss during her modelling career — had been her parents’ sponsor, the outlet explained.

In recent years, the Knavses lived with the Trump family at Mar-a-Lago.

Mrs Trump announced her mother’s passing on X, formerly Twitter, last week.

“It is with deep sadness that I announce the passing of my beloved mother, Amalija,” the former first lady wrote.

“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 honour and love her legacy.”

This story was published by the Newe York Post and is reproduced with permission.