From bug hotels to royal dollhouses: Melania Trump’s day out with Queen Camilla and Princess Kate

While Trump talked geopolitics with Starmer, the First Lady toured Windsor treasures and joined children’s activities at Frogmore House. (Image credit: AP)

As President Donald Trump sat down with Prime Minister Keir Starmer to discuss global affairs, his wife Melania was treated to a lighter agenda — a blend of royal history and playful creativity hosted by Queen Camilla and Princess Kate.

The U.S. First Lady spent her second day in Britain’s royal company exploring Windsor Castle’s treasures before stepping outdoors at Frogmore House, where she joined children in Scouts-style activities, swapping politics for bug hotels and leaf art.

Treasures of the Royal Library

Camilla first guided Melania through Windsor Castle’s Royal Library, where nearly 200,000 leather-bound volumes line the shelves. Among the highlights was a 1632 Second Folio of Shakespeare’s works, annotated by King Charles I.

The First Lady also got a rare look at Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House, a century-old miniature palace complete with running water, electricity, and even a functioning piano. Nestled inside were tiny manuscripts, handwritten one-offs donated in the 1920s by literary giants such as A.A. Milne, J.M. Barrie, and Arthur Conan Doyle.

Smiling, Melania leafed through one of the thumb-sized books, part of a collection of nearly 600, marveling at the delicate script and tiny illustrations.

Crafts with children at Frogmore House

The tone shifted from historical grandeur to childlike wonder as Melania joined Princess Kate on the lawns of Frogmore House, a 17th-century retreat once beloved by Queen Victoria.

There, she rolled up her sleeves with a group of four- to six-year-old Scouts. The children showed her how to make leaf prints and assemble cardboard homes for insects, 'bug hotels' designed to encourage outdoor learning.

“This is beautiful,” Melania said as she helped paste leaves onto paper, before handing out badges to the young participants for their efforts.

(With inputs from Reuters)