Michelle Obama has long held a place firmly in our hearts. From her championing of various causes to her undeniably chic sense of style, the former First Lady frequently found herself in the spotlight over the eight years her husband Barack was President of the United States. 

And as she departed the White House on the day of Donald Trump’s inauguration earlier this year, she ended up making waves once more – this time, thanks to her facial expressions while welcoming the incoming family.

What appeared to be something of a side-eye took the internet by storm, with numerous memes claiming she encapsulated the feelings of millions around the world. 

However, speaking at the American Institute of Architects convention last week, Michelle Obama denied that she was throwing shade at the incoming president and his wife and was instead fighting back the tears.

Explaining her expression at the moment when Melania Trump awkwardly handed over a large Tiffany & Co. box, Obama said that it was actually her daughters, Malia and Sasha Obama, that were on her mind.

“That moment of transition, right before the doors opened and we welcomed in the new family, our kids were leaving out the back door in tears, saying goodbye to people.

"I didn't want to have tears in my eyes because people would swear I was crying because of the new president.”

After eight years in the White House, it’s little wonder that Michelle Obama was concerned for her daughters leaving their home – Malia was 10 and Sasha was 7 when the family moved in, in 2009.

Speaking of the effect of Barack Obama’s presidency on her family and why she will not be running for office herself, Obama said: “I wouldn't ask my children to do this again because, when you run for higher office, it's not just you, it's your whole family.”

However, we can’t say we’d have blamed her if she was in fact making her feelings known.

Read more: Michelle Obama takes one last look around the White House

The future of one of Michelle Obama’s signature programmes from her time as First Lady, Let Girls Learn, has recently come into question under the new leadership. 

According to CNN, the Trump administration is putting an end to the programme, effective immediately. The news outlet uncovered an email sent to Peace Corps employees by the agency's acting director Sheila Crowley which said that “moving forward, we will not continue to use the ‘Let Girls Learn’ brand or maintain a stand-alone program.”

Michelle and Barack Obama launched the programme in 2015 to expand educational opportunities for girls in developing countries, and have since invested at least $1 billion (approximately £774 million) in programming across 50 countries. 

However, the future of the programme is far from certain, as hours after CNN reported on the leaked document, a White House representative denied the claims and referred questions about the program to representatives of First Lady Melania Trump, who declined to comment.

The Obama administration had attempted to ensure the programme’s longevity last year, securing $5 million (approx. £3.8 million) in private sector donations. Tina Tchen, Ms Obama's former chief of staff, told CNN that they “were hopeful that... it could continue the programme” given that they had secured several more year’s worth of funding.

Images: REX