First Lady Melania Trump seemingly broke a strict royal fashion rule on Monday afternoon as she and her husband, President Donald Trump, welcomed King Charles and Queen Camilla to the White House.
The two couples were filmed greeting one another outside the president’s residence in Washington, D.C. on April 27, hours after the royals landed in America.
Melania, 56, made the most of the sunny weather and was dressed in a pale yellow two-piece suit, which featured a fitted pencil skirt that fell just below the knee. The mother-of-one chose to flaunt her bare legs, opting against stockings, and she completed her look with a pair of printed stilettos.
Female members of the Royal Family are expected to wear sheer nude or black pantyhose (stockings) during official public engagements to maintain a formal, conservative appearance, but it seems that Melania doesn’t care to follow the same rules.
The rule has generally been adhered to by most female royals; however, Meghan Markle did on occasion step out with bare legs, as did Princess Diana.
Stockings or nude tights are considered a matter of decency and deemed essential for maintaining modesty, professionalism and a polished look.
The addition of hoisery to an outfit is also seen as a mark of respect, with Meghan admitting that it “felt a little bit inauthentic,” but during outings with the late Queen Elizabeth II she was notably seen wearing them.
Speaking on The Circuit in 2025 Meghan explained, “I had to wear nude pantyhose all the time. Let’s be honest, that was not very myself. I hadn’t seen pantyhose since the ’80s, when they came in the little egg.”
Meghan also explained that it’s “an example of when you’re able to dress the way you wanna dress and you’re able to say the things that are true, and you’re able to show up in the space really organically and authentically, that’s being comfortable in your own skin.”
Melania is no stranger to shunning royal protocol, having previously pushed the boundaries during her visit with President Trump to the U.K. in September 2025.
At the time opinion was split on the ensemble, with some calling the dress ‘hideous’ and her bare shoulders unsuitable for the formal event, while others applauded Melania for the daring choice.
While it used to be generally frowned upon to have bare shoulders in public as a Royal protocol, with tradition dictating that off-the-shoulder or other revealing designs should not be worn. However, those rules have become more relaxed in recent years, especially when it comes to evening wear.
Melania also breached royal protocol during that visit when she failed to curtsy when greeting Queen Camilla and Princess Catherine.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.the-express.com ’
