Melania Trump arrives at State of the Union address separately from President, breaking tradition

The first couple shared a limo to Mr Trump's first Joint Session of Congress last February

First Lady Melania Trump has arrived at Capitol Hill without Donald Trump for the President’s first State of the Union address.

Breaking with tradition, Ms Trump opted to ride with the guests she invited to share her first lady’s box during her husband’s speech.

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said the first lady arrived separately for “no reason other than she can greet the guests and he can go straight in”, according to CNN.

Barack and Michelle Obama, as well as George and Laura Bush, went to the State of the Union in the same limo for all of the eight years each held office.

For Mr Trump’s first Joint Session of Congress last February, he and Ms Trump also shared a ride in the limo to Capitol Hill.

Ms Trump’s lone motorcade ride is another in a series of independent movements from the First Lady.

Earlier this month, she backed out of joining Mr Trump at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland. She also made an impromptu visit alone to the Holocaust Memorial Museum and flew to Mar-a-Lago, where she spent part of her short trip relaxing at the spa.

Ms Trump’s independent travel comes amid speculation about her husband’s fidelity.

The First Lady’s spokeswoman, Stephanie Grisham, criticised a “laundry list of salacious and flat-out false reporting” – an apparent response to claims of an affair between the President and a porn star.

The first couple has not been publicly seen together since the news broke earlier this month of the alleged affair.