The mother of Melania Trump has died at the age of 78 after falling ill late in December, the former first lady has confirmed.
Former President Donald Trump’s wife shared the news of her mother’s passing in a heartfelt post on X, formerly Twitter, late on Jan. 9.
“It is with deep sadness that I announce the passing of my beloved mother, Amalija Knavs,” Ms. Trump wrote, describing her mother as a “strong woman who always carried herself with grace, warmth, and dignity.”
Ms. Trump said that her mother 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,” the former first lady said.
The news of Ms. Knavs’s death comes after President Trump confirmed his wife’s mother was “very ill” over the Christmas and New Year’s holiday period.
Speaking at a New Year’s Eve event at his Mar-a-Lago home in Palm Beach, Florida, President Trump acknowledged his wife had been absent from a number of family gatherings and holiday photos in order to be by her ailing mother’s side, including the Trump family Christmas card.
“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,” President Trump said at the event.
Former First Lady’s Mother Was ‘Very Ill’
“But she’s been very ill, so I just 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. She knows probably about 95 percent of the people in this room. We just want to wish Amalija that she gets better as quickly as possible,” he added.The couple welcomed Melania in 1970.
“My elegant and hardworking mother Amalija introduced me to fashion and beauty,” she said in her speech. “My father, Viktor, instilled in me a passion for business and travel. Their integrity, compassion, and intelligence reflect to this day on me and for my love of family and America.”
The former first lady’s parents eventually emigrated to the United States from Slovenia, and became U.S. citizens at a federal court in New York City in 2018, during Trump’s presidency.
Ms. Trump maintained a close relationship with her mother, according to The New York Times; with her parents spending much of the year with their daughter and her 10-year-old son, Barron, at Trump Tower in Manhattan or at President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home.