Donald Trump’s wife Melania has undergone kidney surgery for a “benign” condition, the White House announced yesterday.

The operation was “successful” and there were “no complications”, according to a statement put out by Mrs Trump’s team.

The US first lady had the procedure at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Washington DC. She is expected to spend the rest of the week at the hospital to recover.

The unexpected announcement came just days after Mrs Trump delivered her most prominent speech since entering the White House, launching a campaign to improve the lives of children.

Mrs Trump, 48, is a former model and the US president’s third wife. The pair married in 2005 and have a son together, Baron, who is 12.