By Betsy Klein, CNN
(CNN) — It’s a diplomatic milestone.
Amid all the pageantry of President Donald Trump’s UK state visit, two high-profile figures are making a special appearance that’s sure to be among the most scrutinized moments of the trip.
First lady Melania Trump and Catherine, Princess of Wales are private spouses with massive global platforms. And while their joint appearance this week underscores the UK’s effort to cultivate ties with the first family at a sensitive time geopolitically, it’s also a key moment for both women and the roles they play on the world stage.
For Trump — who’s embarking on her first state visit of her husband’s second term — preparing for the trip has been “a monthslong endeavor,” said one source familiar with state visit planning, that’s included organizing gifts and deconflicting attire.
And for Kate, who only returned to a lighter schedule of engagements last September after scaling back her appearances for chemotherapy treatments, this marks a strategic deployment of her star power.
“There are clear stars here, and Kate is at the top of that list,” said journalist Elizabeth Holmes, author of “HRH: So Many Thoughts on Royal Style.”
The two women appearing together for the first time — as they will for a visit to a scouting program on Thursday — “would go a long way in terms of strengthening diplomatic ties,” Holmes added, as they lean into the royal family’s skill at putting together memorable photo opportunities.
‘We definitely don’t want to clash’
When British Prime Minister Keir Starmer hand-delivered the invitation for the state visit from King Charles III to President Donald Trump in the Oval Office in February, the wheels were set in motion for all the pomp and circumstance of a state visit.
Even visiting American presidents and first ladies must follow layers of protocol, a long list of dos and don’ts, and topics for conversation both on and off-camera. Plans have been in the works for months to select gifts for their hosts, with the president and first lady working with their teams and the State Department on a meaningful diplomatic exchange.
And the first lady is known to study and prepare meticulously.
“If she does any public event, but in particular foreign events, she knows that there’s a heightened level of scrutiny on it, just in terms of sheer coverage,” the source familiar said.
“She really has a keen eye for what will be displayed publicly, and how she wants to look.”
Ahead of trips like this, Melania Trump will receive a memo with biographical information about the leaders she will be meeting and a more substantive binder filled with details about her counterparts’ personal interests and plans for their outings.
There is also significant thought put into what she will wear.
The first lady “has been planning her outfits, specifically her dress for the dinner with the king and queen, for months,” one White House official told CNN.
Particularly at events where the principals will be seen and not heard, the message they send through their wardrobe choices is a significant one, and those details are often communicated in advance through diplomatic channels.
“We were pretty forthright, calling and saying, ‘Is she wearing blue today? And what shade of blue is it?’ And then we would wear navy if she was wearing sky blue. We definitely don’t want to clash – we want to complement,” the source familiar with planning said.
A royal agenda
Plans have been laid for a packed day at Windsor Castle: a ceremonial greeting, a royal salute, and a carriage procession across the castle’s grounds with Charles and Queen Camilla. There will be a troop inspection, a special Royal Air Force flyover, a luncheon and a wreath-laying at the late Queen Elizabeth II’s tomb ahead of the grandeur of a state banquet.
The following day, as the president gets down to business with the prime minister, the first lady will be fêted with her own royal engagements – touring Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House and the Royal Library with Camilla and then visiting with scouts at the royal estate’s Frogmore Gardens alongside Kate.
The two women will meet with Chief Scout Dwayne Fields and members of the Scouts’ Squirrels program as they learn about nature to achieve their “Go Wild” badge, according to Buckingham Palace. The princess is joint president of the Scout Association, a title she’s held since 2020.
“This is where the role of the royal family becomes so clear – because they are there to impress, and they do. Nobody does it like they do. To have a carriage ride and all these things that would mean a lot specifically to the Trumps is a real asset,” said Holmes.
“There are always conversations about the continued relevancy of the monarchy in modern times. Well, they’re coming in handy. This is a good moment for them to do what they do,” she added.
The princess’ role is especially important.
“A significant part of this would be expected, but given what she has been through personally in the last 18 months, I think people are very heartened to see that she’s willing to step into these bigger roles now, and these massive global stage moments,” Holmes said.
Progress for the princess
The first lady and princess’ Thursday appearance in nature marks a “visual counterpoint” to the previous day’s lavish pageantry and will provide more “humanizing moments,” Holmes said.
“Everybody knows the royal family for their fabulous tiaras and things like that. But this is a reminder of the important work that they do,” she added.
Since her return to the public eye, Kate’s appearances have largely focused on the core themes of her royal portfolio: early childhood support and education, children’s mental health and the importance of spending time outdoors.
The first lady has placed a similar focus on the well-being of children through her tenure, most recently writing a direct appeal to Russian President Vladimir Putin on behalf of Russian and Ukrainian children, hand-delivered by her husband in Alaska last month. She has also supported legislation against deepfake and revenge pornography, as well as investment in foster youth.
“I’m sure (the first lady) has sat down for hours thinking about – what’s the goal of this? What do I want to talk about with the princess?” the source familiar with state visit preparation said. “Their policy interests align a bit with children, so I can assume that that’s going to be the majority of what they focus on.”
It is also a meaningful moment in the princess’ recovery, with Emily Nash, a royal journalist at HELLO! Magazine, noting that the scouting event is “another step forward” after Kate attended parts of a Qatar state visit last year and a French state visit in July, including the state banquet for the later.
It’s not the first time the princess has appeared alongside a first lady. Kate met with Jill Biden in 2021, visiting a school in Cornwall, England, during the G7 summit as they highlighted early childhood education.
Biden and the then-Duchess of Cambridge wrote in an op-ed for CNN that both the US and UK should make a “fundamental shift in how our countries approach the earliest years of life.”
Kate also met with the Obamas, memorably introducing a young Prince George clad in a bathrobe at Kensington Palace in 2016.
But this event marks her first engagement with an American first lady since becoming princess of Wales.
Similarly, since becoming prince of Wales, William has been taking on a greater role in the family as he evolves into more of a global statesman, stepping in for his father at international events like Pope Francis’ funeral, the reopening of Notre-Dame Cathedral and D-Day commemorations. He has also demonstrated his own style of royal leadership by weighing in on current affairs.
CNN’s Lauren Said-Moorhouse and Alayna Treene contributed to this story.