Donald Trump’s youngest son Barron is now comfortably the tallest in the family, towering over his father at his grandmother’s funeral.
Father and son stood next to each other as they mourned Melania Trump’s mother Amalija Knavs, who died on January 9 aged 78.
Barron, now 17, stands at 6ft, 7 inches – taller even than his ex-president father who at 6ft, 3 inches is a towering figure himself.
The teenager stood beside Donald Trump, Melania, and Knavs’ widower Viktor, dwarfing all three as they waited for the coffin to arrive on Thursday morning.
Barron Trump stood beside his father Donald and mother Melania at the funeral of his grandmother Amalija Knavs, who died on January 9 aged 78
Barron’s four-inch height advantage over his father was obvious from the moment they got out of the car together, as the boy put a guiding hand on Trump’s arm
Barron, now 17, stands at 6ft, 7 inches – taller even than his ex-president father who at 6ft, 3 inches is a towering figure himself
Knavs was farewelled by about 100 mourners at Bethesda-by-the-Sea Episcopal Church in Palm Beach, Florida, where Melania gave a moving eulogy.
Barron’s four-inch height advantage over his father was obvious from the moment they got out of the car together, as the boy put a guiding hand on Trump’s arm.
Melania in her eulogy gushed about her mother’s love for her grandson Barron, whom she ‘showered with affection, illuminating his world with love, tender care and unwavering devotion’.
Trump credited his son’s impressive growth to Knavs’ traditional Slovenian cooking at a campaign event before the Iowa Republican caucuses.
‘That’s how he got so tall, he only ate her food,’ he joked to the crowd of supporters.
‘I said you’re gonna be a basketball player. He said, “well, I like soccer dad, actually”. But you can’t talk them into everything! Barron was a special boy.’
Barron is said to have a close bond with his grandmother, who along with Viktor taught him to speak Slovenian as he grew up.
Bojan Pozar wrote in his book ‘Melania Trump – The Inside Story: The Potential First Lady’ that Barron ‘almost certainly speaks Slovenian with… Ines, his aunt, who also lives in New York’.
‘Ines Knavs was the one who took care of all the paperwork at the Slovenia consulate in New York so that Barron could formally acquire Slovenian citizenship,’ he added.
Barron is believed to be the first son of a president to have dual citizenship.
Barron has grown dramatically since his father’s inauguration in January 2017 when he was just 10
The teenager stood beside Donald Trump, Melania, and Knavs’ widower Viktor (left), dwarfing all three as they waited for the coffin to arrive on Thursday morning
They walked slowly towards the church as a foursome, in complete silence, dozens of agents looking on, the three men wearing black suits and ties and Melania in a black suit jacket, black skirt and a silver cross around her neck
Other photos from the funeral show Barron next to his grandfather Viktor and various other mourners – and being far taller than all of them.
Mourners joined Melania and her father Viktor Thursday morning at the same picturesque Palm Beach church where she married Trump nearly two decades earlier.
The former president flew into Florida in the early hours to be at his wife’s side, the pair following closely behind the hearse in one of around a dozen black SUVs, arriving just after 10am.
Melania and Trump were accompanied by Barron while Knavs’ widower Viktor looked visibly upset but paused to compose himself before joining the others.
They walked slowly towards the church as a foursome, in complete silence, dozens of agents looking on, the three men wearing black suits and ties and Melania in a black suit jacket, black skirt and a silver cross around her neck.
Reverend Tim Schenck, who joined Bethesda as rector in 2022, stood at the church entrance waiting to greet them with a somber nod of the head and some brief words of comfort.
Melania remained stoic and expressionless behind her black jumbo sunglasses as all four turned in unison to watch as Knavs’ coffins, bedecked with a dazzling display of white roses, orchids and lillies was carried from the street to the church.
Finally they all turned to go inside, the coffin entering behind them, passing another huge pink and white floral display comprised of roses, carnations and daisies.
All four emerged from the church just behind the coffin, which was carried by six pallbearers
Melania maintained her steely composure as she emerged from church, watching in silence as the coffin was carried outside, flanked by pallbearers and clergy
Melania Trump delivered a touching eulogy for her mother Amalija Knavs, who died January 9, aged 78
Inside as she gave the eulogy, Melania’s voiced cracked from the podium as she said, ‘Rest in peace, my beloved mother’.
‘Her nurturing spirit had no limits, creating a legacy that will last for generations,’ she said.
‘With her beauty and impeccable sense of style she turned heads. But it was her unwavering dedication and hard work that made her exceptional.’
Melania maintained her steely composure as she emerged from church, watching in silence as the coffin was carried outside, flanked by pallbearers and clergy.
As the procession reached the road and she watched her mom being loaded back into the hearse, Trump reached out and tenderly squeezed his wife’s hand.
She left in the same vehicle as her dad while Trump followed in another SUV, giving a nod of gratitude to Secret Service agents who closed the road to ensure a smooth getaway for mourners.
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Melania’s mother Amalija Knavs (center, pictured in June 2018) was laid to rest on Thursday at the same picturesque Palm Beach church where her daughter married Donald Trump nearly two decades earlier
Former First Lady Melania Trump ‘s mother Amalija Knavs, 78, died after being hospitalized in Miami, Florida, over the holidays
The Trumps have been regulars at the 125-year-old chapel since Melania wed then-real estate mogul Donald there in 2005 in front of VIP guests including Hillary and Bill Clinton.
A year later, Barron was christened at the Gothic-Revival style venue, which is less than three miles from Trump’s swish Florida residence, Mar-a-Lago.
The Trumps also attended several Christmas services there throughout his Presidency.
It was unclear if Donald Trump would make it after a heated exchange with a New York federal judge overseeing E Jean Carroll’s defamation case against him. The judge denied an application to delay the trial.
Judge Lewis Kaplan noted that the former president was not legally obliged to be court in person anyway.