Kate Middleton and Melania Trump surprised royal fans when they made a rare joint appearance together.
The Princess of Wales, 43, and the First Lady, 55, made their historic first solo outing together at Frogmore Cottage on the Windsor Estate on September 18.
The engagement came during Donald Trump’s second state visit to the UK, and was the first time Kate and Melania had stepped out together without other senior royals.
And they couldn’t have appeared happier to be in each other’s company, flashing broad smiles and chatting avidly while meeting members of the Scouts.
White House sources said the invitation for Melania to join Princess Catherine was “absolutely” the highlight of the First Lady’s trip.
Now, it has been claimed that the outing was only the first step in a growing friendship between Kate and Melania.
“You could very much see how warm and friendly they were after spending time together,” a source told Hello!.
“They were chatting away, and they both really enjoyed the engagement. The First Lady was super-relaxed, and she really enjoyed her time with the Princess.”
“It’s definitely the start of what looks set to be a very warm, long-term relationship between Kate and Melania,” another added, hinting that they could collaborate again in the future.
And there were certainly some subtle signs hinting at their budding friendship during their harmonious outing.
In fact, the two women had carefully coordinated everything, right down to their outfits.
Both Kate and Melania stepped out in clothes from American fashion designer Ralph Lauren in a sign of unity between them.
While Kate wore a skirt from the brand, Melania sported a safari-style suede jacket in a complementary shade.
They later met the Chief Scout, TV presenter Dwayne Fields, who said he wouldn’t be surprised to see the two women together again in the future.
“From what I’ve seen, I wouldn’t be surprised if they were to go away and collaborate on something in the US,” he told The Times.
He also observed that the two women found “a lot to talk about” – as the friendly pictures of their outing certainly prove.
There could be an opportunity for the women to team up again, potentially with the American Scouts, if Trump extends the Royal Family an invitation to visit the US.
A White House source hinted such a trip might be coming soon, when they said the royals had “set the bar high for their trip to see us”.
As well as their solo outing together, Kate and Melania also rubbed shoulders at a state banquet the night before.
They were accompanied by their respective husbands, Prince William and Donald Trump, as well as King Charles and Queen Camilla.
Melania also joined Camilla for a tour of the Royal Library in Windsor during the highly talked-about state visit.
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