Laura Mattarella: How Italy's First Daughter became the country’s First Lady

Italian President Sergio Mattarella arrived in Kenya on Monday evening for a four-day State visit that has seen him hold bilateral talks with President William Ruto at State House, Nairobi.

On Tuesday, the two leaders discussed – and later briefed the media on – various issues of mutual agreement between the two countries, and unveiled the Kenya-Italy Five-Year Cooperation Strategy on sustainable development.

But aside from all this, one thing captured the attention of Kenyans; President Mattarella’s daughter, Laura Mattarella, was introduced as the country’s First Lady.

While ordinarily the First Lady title is given to the wife of a Head of State, Italy’s First Lady is, indeed, the president’s daughter.

Ms Mattarella, 56, is the first child and the only daughter of President Mattarella, who has been in office since 2015.

Mr Mattarella is 81 years old and has three children; Laura, 57-year-old Bernardo Giorgio, and Francesco, 50.

So how did Laura end up as First Lady of the European country?

Well, Mr Mattarella is a widower. His wife, Marisa Chiazzese, died in 2012, three years before he became president.

When he assumed office, Laura took on the First Lady representation functions. She immediately accompanied her father on State trips.

She has even attended meetings without her father in her capacity as the Companion of the President of Italy.

A lawyer by profession, Ms Mattarella is married to Cosimo Comella and together they have three children.

Italy is not the only country to have a First Lady who is not the spouse of the president.

In the history of the United States, it has happened nine times. The most notable was Harriet Lane, the niece of James Buchanan; who acted as First Lady during his term as President between 1857 and 1861.

Buchanan was America’s only lifelong bachelor president.

Lane, also called the “Democratic Queen” in history records, is said to have livened up the Buchanan administration by redecorating the White House and hosting popular dinner parties.