
Melania Trump has proudly signed off from her first foreign trip as first lady before walking to Air Force One hand-in-hand with the president.

In a rare speech for Mrs Trump, the first lady addressed US military personnel at a naval base in Italy on Saturday afternoon ahead of the trip back to Washington with Donald Trump.

The first lady, dressed in a black custom-made Dolce & Gabbana dress with button-embellishments, said she would never forget the women and children she met during her nine days on the road in Europe and the Middle East.

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Melania Trump has paid tribute to the sick children she met during her first trip abroad as first lady of the United States before leaving Italy on Saturday

The first lady held her husband's hand as they made their way to Air Force One in Italy on Saturday after addressing US military personnel at a naval base

The trip took the Trumps to Saudi Arabia, Israel, Belgium and Italy where Melania spent time with Pope Francis and at various children's hospitals.

'It has been a great trip and many strides have been made,' Mrs Trump said.

'My husband worked very hard on behalf of our country and I'm very proud of him.

'This trip has also been incredible for me as first lady.'

The 47-year-old said she was honored and blessed to have been granted an audience with Pope Francis, and she shared stories of her time spent with sick children in various hospitals.

She recalled meeting one specific boy at Vatican's children's hospital in Rome on Wednesday.

'Just hours after leaving, a young boy I spent time with found out he had received a new heart donor. Receiving that news is a moment I will never forget and I wish him a speedy recovery,' she said.

The first lady also recalled drawing pictures with children in Brussels and one child gave her a picture that said: 'We are all the same.'

'This trip for me has been very special and I will never forget the women and children I met,' she told the crowd.

In a rare speech for Mrs Trump, the first lady addressed US military personnel at a naval base in Italy on Saturday ahead of the trip back to Washington with Donald Trump

The first lady was dressed in a black custom-made Dolce & Gabbana dress with button-embellishments

The first lady addressed US military personnel at a naval base in Italy ahead of the trip back to Washington with Donald Trump

The first lady also thanked the service members for sacrificing on behalf of the US.

'I also want to take a moment to thank you all for the sacrifices you make on behalf of our country,' she said.

She says it's because of their 'selfless commitment' and the sacrifices their families make that Americans are able to enjoy many freedoms.

'To the families who endure time apart or constant time apart, your sacrifices do not go unnoticed.'

President Trump then took to the microphone calling his maiden trip abroad a 'home run'.

He also vowed to overcome the threat of terrorism saying recent terrorist attacks in Manchester, England and Egypt underscored the need for the US to 'defeat terrorism and protect civilization.'

'Terrorism is a threat, bad threat to all of humanity,' Trump said. 'And together we will overcome this threat. We will win.'

The president's five-stop trip has largely gone off without a major misstep and ended with the promise of an imminent decision on the much-discussed Paris climate accord.

'I think we hit a home run no matter where we are,' Trump told the soldiers.

He also touted his meetings with NATO members, adding, 'We're behind NATO all the way.' He reiterated a renewed commitment by NATO members to spend more on defense.

Melania boarded Air Force One with the President as they made their way to Washington on Saturday after nine days on the road

Melania wore a black custom-made Dolce & Gabbana dress with button-embellishments and pink high heels before leaving Italy

Melania posed with a number of women on the second day of the G7 Summit in Taormina, Sicily island, Italy on Friday - including French first lady Brigitte Macron (second from left)

It signed off on a nine day trip abroad, during which Melania won the hearts of many across the Middle East and Europe.

The first lady was widely praised for her well-thought-out wardrobe choices - despite being criticized for stepping out in a colorful floral applique jacket by Dolce & Gabbana that cost $51,000 in Sicily on Friday.

The fashion choices of America's first ladies are a longstanding source of public fascination and Melania certainly got her taste of it from the moment she stepped of Air Force One in Saudi Arabia.

Melania dressed conservatively for her arrival in Saudi Arabia, wearing a black, long-sleeved, high-necked, Stella McCartney pantsuit that resembled an abaya that Saudi women and female residents wear. Her attire during the two-day visit hewed to the protocol for high-level female visitors: modest dress, longer sleeves, higher necklines, pants and long dresses.

In Israel, the Trumps visited the Western Wall, the holiest site where Jews can pray. Donald Trump, who became the first US president to visit the wall while in office, donned a yarmulke - a skullcap - which is customary. Melania donned white, a color considered by some Jews to be sacred.

On Wednesday, Melania wore a black lace veil to the Vatican to meet Pope Francis. When a Vatican official handed her a rosary, the first lady immediately gave it to the Pope to bless. She took off the veil when she went to meet patients at the Vatican's pediatric hospital Bambino Gesu.

In Brussels, the first lady opted for a leather skirt suit by a Belgian designer when she visited a children's hospital and met a group of NATO spouses for a museum tour.

Her first outing in the Sicilian sunshine was in a colorful floral applique jacket by Italian fashion house Dolce & Gabbana that sells for $51,000. She then traded the statement coat for a shimmery, high-neck silver dress and equally sparkly $945 shoes by Dolce & Gabanna to attend a concert with Trump on Friday night.

Melania and Donald Trump held hands as they arrived at the Ancient Theatre of Taormina in Italy on Friday evening, alongside President Trump's fellow G7 leaders and their partners

Melania made a very chic arrival in the coastal town of Catania, Sicily, on Friday morning, wearing a $51,000 Dolce & Gabanna floral jacket

In Brussels, the first lady opted for a leather skirt suit by a Belgian designer when she visited a children's hospital and met a group of NATO world leader spouses for a museum tour

Melania wore a black lace veil to the Vatican to meet Pope Francis on Wednesday. She later said she was honored and blessed to have met the Pope

Her attire during the two-day visit to Saudi Arabia hewed to the protocol for high-level female visitors: modest dress, longer sleeves, higher necklines, pants and long dresses