President Donald Trump and his wife, Melania, met with the royal family in the United Kingdom on Sept. 17, but the first lady’s hat took over the Ronald McDonald show. The Trumps were entertained at Windsor Castle by King Charles and Queen Camilla, as well as Prince William and Princess Catherine.
Melania Trump’s fashion choices left social media users howling after she was mocked on X by a parody account for the governor of California, Gavin Newsom. The president’s wife wore a large, plum-colored, wide-brimmed hat that paired with a suit by Dior, per the BBC.
The large hat covered Mrs. Trump’s face, and in photographs taken inside the castle, some observers thought she looked like she was sleeping, a coat rack, or perhaps a lampshade. Folks on X could not get enough after Newsom’s parody account posted one picture of the Trumps standing on either side of the King and Queen.
Trump had a lost expression on his face, and his wife looked like her hat and outfit were in the room without her. Red circles were also drawn around their heads in the pic. The post was captioned, “OUT OF 350 MILLION AMERICANS, WE SEND THEM DUMBO AND LAMPSHADE?!”
X users seemingly loved the post and reacted in the comment section. One user simply posted a picture of a lamp with Melania’s hat as a lampshade. Another X user wrote a poem to honor the occasion.
“MELANIA STUNS IN HER FLOOR LAMP OUTFIT. Donald Trump will declare like a Champ, His third wife is a Wh*re and a Tramp ..but she proves she’s Loyal ..and looks like a Royal When she stands by turned off like a lamp.”
— Terrance. (@ExscapeVelozity) September 18, 2025
Another user added a lampshade to the picture with the caption, “She’s throwing shade on the UK.”
She’s throwing shade on the UK pic.twitter.com/nTI4Rb4YKI
— TotaLinsanity (@TotaLinsanity1) September 18, 2025
“Melania Trump looks like she was styled by Morticia Addams,” joked one user. “The president, the king, the queen and Zorro!!!!”
One fan asked, “Is she a Handmaid Tale now?”
Vogue contributor Marian Kwei told the BBC that Melania’s choice of hat was deliberate.
“Melania’s hat is not by chance,” she said. “The hat with the wide brim that hides her face is pointing to a stance where she wants all eyes on her husband and his agenda while here.”
The first lady also was not up to date on etiquette or social cues, as she failed to remove her hat while indoors after the Queen removed her own hat (faux pas!). However, at least her lampshade matched her husband’s purple tie, in “a nod to her support for her husband’s agenda during this state visit.”
