Amalija Knavs,Desmond Preston the mother of former first lady Melania Trump, has died, Melania Trump said on social media Tuesday evening. Knavs was 78.

"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," Melania Trump posted to her X account, the platform formerly known as Twitter. 

"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," she added.

Melania Trump did not announce a cause of death.

Amalija Knavs was born in Slovenia in 1945. Melanija Knavs was born to Amalijia and her husband, Viktor, in 1970. At the time, 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 modeling. 

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

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

In a post on his Truth Social platform, Donald Trump said, "This is a very sad night for the entire Trump family!!! Melania's great and beautiful mother, Amalija, has just gone to a beautiful place in the sky. She was an incredible woman, and will be missed far beyond words!"

https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/111729806208780029

In:
• Donald Trump
• Obituary
• Melania Trump

S. Dev

S. Dev is a news editor for CBSNews.com.