Melanie Trump, 46, was born Melanija Knavs in the town of Sevnice in 1970 when Slovenia was part of Yugoslavia. She later changed her surname to the more German-sounding Knauss, before becoming Trump’s third wife in 2005.
The tiny town in Slovenia where Melania Trump grew up is basking in the glow of her impending role as America’s First Lady and hoping fervently for a visit from the former glamour model and her husband.
“It’s a tribute just to Melania – I would not have voted for her husband,” said Srecko Ocvirk the mayor of a small town on the Sava River.
Nena Bedek, a friend who studied with the future Mrs Trump in Ljubljana, Slovenia’s capital, said: “She’s now the most important woman in the world. I’m happy for her, although less so for the victory of her husband.”
Despite their misgivings about the bombastic President-elect, the 6,000 inhabitants of Sevnica are keen that the Trumps visit, though they recognize that they may have to be patient.