Former President Donald Trump and his three eldest children attended a church in New York on Wednesday to say goodbye to his first wife and mother Ivana Trump, who died last week at the age of 73 from a fall at home.
Source: AFP
Don Jr, Ivanka and Eric Trump, their respective spouses and children, participated with their father and his current wife Melania in the Catholic religious service held at the church of San Vicente Ferrer in the residential high east of Manhtatan.
Donald Trump and his wife Melania, in deep mourning like the rest of the attendees, entered the church through a side door, an AFP photographer verified, surrounded by strong security measures.
Inside, Eric Trump reminded attendees that his mother, a model, a world-class skier born in what was Czechoslovakia under the communist regime, had been “the embodiment of the American dream” and a “force of nature,” according to reports the New York Post.
For Ivanka Trump, her mother was a “pioneer” – she said at the religious service – who intended to be a “celebration of life”, according to the invitation received by relatives and friends.
Ivana Trump, the first wife of the 45th president of the United States, died from injuries sustained “by a strong blow” on Thursday, allegedly when she fell down the stairs of her home.
“She was a wonderful, beautiful, amazing woman who led a great and inspiring life,” Donald Trump, 76, wrote in his social media post after learning of his ex-wife’s death.
“His pride and joy was his three children, Donald Jr, Ivanka and Eric. She was so proud of them, as all of us were so proud of her. Rest in peace, Ivana!” she added.
The former White House tenant highlighted the “formidable” life of this “tireless worker”, “beautiful inside and out”, according to what he told the New York Post columnist, Cindy Adams.
Ivana Zelníčková, her maiden name, married the then budding construction entrepreneur in 1977, shortly after arriving from Canada where she had lived after leaving her native Czechoslovakia.
In the 1980s, the Trumps were one of the most prominent couples in New York, with their extravagant styles, in particular she, showing off the ostentation of the decade with voluminous hairstyles and enormous jewelry.
His power and celebrity grew to the rhythm of Trump’s business success, to which Ivana contributed, who held managerial positions in the businessman’s network.
The couple separated in 1992 allegedly because of Donald Trump’s extramarital affair with actress Marla Maples, turning the divorce into a spectacle that delighted the New York tabloids.
Following her divorce, Ivana Trump had a successful business career, spanning fashion, jewelry, beauty products, and active book publishing.
She was married four times, once before meeting Donald Trump and twice after their divorce.
