Is Melania Trump happy in her role as First Lady?

Donald and Melania Trump in Italy. Photo/AP

Opinion

Many people will have had the experience of being their partner's "plus one" to a work function.

It's often a bit tedious. You listen to stories about people you don't actually know, you make small talk, you're often wearing uncomfortable shoes and you can't really let your hair down lest you embarrass your partner and become the topic of water cooler conversation come Monday morning.

So spare a thought for Melania Trump. Because when her husband Donald Trump became the 45th President of the United States, her life shifted from long lunches and day spa visits in Manhattan to a fulltime position as a plus one.

Donald and Melania Trump in Italy. Pictures such as this have reminded Twitter users of a "hostage situation". Photo/AP

And if her face on her current overseas trip is anything to go by, this is not what she signed up for.

Unlike Princess Di, who merely looked forlorn on such tours, Melania doesn't even seem to be trying to hide her disdain for the whole affair.

People have gleefully watched the footage that shows her reluctance to hold her husband's hand:

And images of her meeting the Pope were hardly joyous:

Melania Trump looks to be mourning her old life. Photo/AP

Since boarding Air Force One she has had the air of a surly teen who has been dragged away on a family holiday to a hot and smelly destination.

From the get go, Melania has seemed mildly uncomfortable in the role of First Lady.

On inauguration day there was that awkward fumbling with the gift for Michelle Obama:

The dance with Donald that made us all want to curl into a ball:

And the painful failed high-five with her son Barron:

Despite the plush lifestyle, you can't help but feel a bit sorry for Melania. She has big shoes to fill. Michelle Obama took to the role of First Lady with equal parts grace and gusto. She was natural and relatable, yet polished and professional. She was versatile enough that she could hold her own in comedy skits with Jimmy Fallon and have a genuine impact on the lives of everyday Americans at the same time.

You can't help but feel for Melania Trump who just had her relationship thrown into the limelight. Her body language seems to say it all. Some have suggested she has become more relatable because of her at times apparent disdain for Donald Trump.

To add to her appeal, there have been fleeting moments on this European tour where the icy facade cracks and a little bit of sunshine shows through.

She's shown more affection for this sick kid in Rome than she has for her husband (though the child doesn't seem sure what to make of it).

Melania Trump visits the paediatric hospital in Vatican City, Vatican. Photo/Getty Images

... But then you remember that she blatantly plagiarised part of Michelle Obama's speech and some of that sympathy crumbles.

It's a vicious cycle.