Amalija Knavs, ex-first lady Melania Trump's mother dies at 78

Former first lady Melania Trump on Tuesday announced on social media that her mother, Amalija Knavs, has died at 78 after being ill for the past few days, CBS News reported.

Melania on Tuesday evening made the announcement on her X, formerly known as Twitter, account, saying: "It is with deep sadness that I announce the passing of my beloved mother, Amalija.”

“Amalija Knavs was a strong woman who always carried herself with grace, warmth, and dignity. She was entirely devoted to her husband, daughters, grandson, and son-in-law. We will miss her beyond measure and continue to honor and love her legacy.”

While Melania did not announce the cause of death, her husband, former United States president Donald Trump previously revealed that Amalija had been hospitalised last week.

Melania had been absent from the Trump family’s Christmas festivities.

While acknowledging his wife's absence from Christmas festivities and family gatherings during his New Year's Eve event at Mar-a-Lago, Trump revealed that she was taking care of her mother "who is very ill".

He told guests: "Melania — great First Lady, so popular, the people love her — she's now in a hospital with her mother. Her mother, Amalija, is very ill, but hopefully, she'll be recovering."

Trump revealed that his mother-in-law was recovering in a Miami hospital and that "it's a very tough one."

He also wished that she "gets better as quickly as possible."

Amalija Knavs was born in Slovenia in 1945, and welcomed Melanija Knavs with her husband, Viktor, in 1970, when Slovenia was still under Communist rule.

Melanija attended high school in the Slovenian capital, Ljubljana, and changed her name to Melania Knauss when she started modelling.

She married then-real estate mogul Donald Trump in 2005, and their son Barron was born in 2006.

Amalija and Viktor became US citizens in 2018, while their son-in-law was president and spent the last few years living at Mar-a-Lago, People reported.