Rare Pics Of Melania Trump And Her Sister Ines Show Their Sweet Sibling Bond

Melania Trump is no stranger to the public eye, going from international supermodel to divisive first lady. While this has put the red flags in Melania and Donald Trump's marriage on full display, there's another notable relationship that the Slovenian native keeps much more lowkey. Her connection with her older sister, Ines Knauss, has seemingly remained a constant throughout her life, with throwback photos of the duo highlighting their sisterly bond.

Though Knauss keeps her personal life pretty private, the artist frequently shares snapshots from her and Melania's childhood on social media. In one photo, the two sisters are sleeping peacefully in a sea of white sheets, with their father holding a child-sized hand while draped above them. "[S]weet dreams & happy warm DECEMBER," the older sibling wrote in the Facebook post's comment, dating the snapshot to 1974.

Ines Knauss / Facebook & inesknauss2018 / Instagram

A black-and-white photo shared on Instagram shows a toddler-aged Knauss with a hand on her younger sister's baby carriage. She looks adorable with her hair in a bow-adorned ponytail and a toy in her hand, while the pursed-lipped Melania looks off to the side. Overall, these sibling snapshots majorly contrast the lavish and controversial life that the majorly transformed Melania leads today, but they also hint at the sweet, sisterly bond that the duo continue to share.

While Melania Trump and Ines Knauss' relationship has only been captured in rare photos, the sisters have reportedly remained close throughout adulthood. The two both left Slovenia for Milan in the 1990s, with Melania pursuing her modeling career while Ines attempted to break into fashion design. The older sister also served as a maid of honor when Melania tied the knot with Donald Trump in 2005, signifying the enduring bond between the siblings. 

Additionally, the first lady initially delayed her move to the White House when Donald Trump first took office in 2017, with many believing it was so their son Barron Trump could finish his school year in New York City. It's speculated that Ines played a role in this delay, as well, as she resided only a few blocks away from the Trump Towers where the mother and son lived. "They are very close," Audrey Gruss, a Palm Beach philanthropist acquainted with Ines, told The New York Post. "She struck me as a lovely person, and extremely creative."

Melania also shouted out her sister at the premiere of her documentary film in early 2026. "To my son Barron, my sister Ines, my father Viktor Knauss, and my mother who is watching down from Heaven—your love is the powerful force that propels me forward!" she said at the event (via PBS NewsHour). Even though Melania and Ines choose to keep the details of their relationship private, both their throwback photos and small shoutouts reveal their unexpected sisterly bond.