First Ladies of the United States

First Lady of the United States
Incumbent Melania Trump since January 20, 2017
Style	Mrs. Trump
Residence	White House
Inaugural holder	Martha Washington
Formation	April 30, 1789
Website	First Ladies

The First Lady of the United States is the hostess of the White House. The position is traditionally filled by the wife of the President of the United States, but, on occasion, the title has been applied to women who were not presidents’ wives, such as when the president was a bachelor or widower, or when the wife of the president was unable to fulfill the duties of the First Lady herself. The First Lady is not an elected position; it carries no official duties and receives no salary. Nonetheless, she attends many official ceremonies and functions of state either along with or in place of the president. Traditionally, the First Lady does not hold outside employment while occupying the office. She has her own staff, including the White House Social Secretary, the Chief of Staff, the Press Secretary, the Chief Floral Designer, and the Executive Chef. The Office of the First Lady is also in charge of all social and ceremonial events of the White House, and is a branch of the Executive Office of the President.

According to the White House and the National First Ladies' Library, there have been 47 First Ladyships. This discrepancy exists because Grover Cleveland served two non-consecutive terms and is counted chronologically as both the 22nd and the 24th president; his wife Frances Cleveland is also counted twice. Following Donald Trump's inauguration on January 20, 2017, his wife, Melania Trump, became the 47th official First Lady, succeeding Michelle Obama, wife of former President Barack Obama.