Melania Trump is mourning the ‘People’s Pope’ on her 55th birthday as the First Lady of the US was comforted by her husband Donald Trump in a rare display of affection. 

On Saturday, Melania joined her the US president Donald Trump, in Vatican City for Pope Francis’ funeral after the Argentine pontiff died on Easter Monday at the age of 88.  

The president and his wife of 20 years held hands as they walked towards their seats for the service in St Peter’s Square. 

In keeping with the Vatican’s strict dress code for the funeral, Melania opted to wear a black blazer and modest, calf-length pencil skirt. 

Guidance from the Catholic Church states women must wear black, closed-toe shoes and Melania chose a pair of simple pumps for the occasion. 

She added an elegant black lace veil as well as matching gloves, and wore a simple diamond-studded cross pendant, in keeping with the strict dress code for the event.

The First Lady wore a solemn expression and remained by Mr Trump’s side, with her attendance at the funeral expected to be crucial to keeping the peace between him and his predecessor Joe Biden. 

Joe Biden, 82, was seated two rows behind Donald Trump, who told reporters outside Air Force One that meeting the former president in Rome was ‘not high on my list’.

He also revealed he hadn’t known that Biden and wife Jill Biden would be at the basilica for the funeral.