The Princess of Wales is continuing her visit to Reggio Emilia, a northern Italian city renowned for its innovative approach to early years education. On the second leg of her tour, Catherine is observing how children engage with nature-based learning at the Salvador Allende Scuola dell'infanzia, a school for children under six. The institution places a strong emphasis on outdoor learning and environmental education, following the 'Reggio Emilia Approach,' which regards the natural environment as 'the third teacher.'
Later, Catherine is scheduled to visit a creative resource centre to understand how local businesses and the wider community support early childhood education through this approach. Supported by approximately 200 companies, the centre repurposes materials destined for disposal, transforming them into tools for investigation and learning.
For her final engagement in Italy, the Princess will visit a rural 'agriturismo'—a farm-stay—to reflect on her experiences and learn how to make pasta. She will join the team at Al Vigneto in preparing lunch, alongside many of the people she has met during her visit.
Yesterday, Catherine greeted well-wishers with an 'I am Catarina,' charming Italians and marking her royal comeback in style. Italians gave her a rapturous welcome as she slipped back into royal duties on her first solo overseas trip in four years. Meeting children, including a three-month-old baby named Elena, she posed for selfies and chatted with residents. Looking relaxed in a blue Edeline Lee trouser suit, she told schoolchildren in Italian: 'I speak a bit of Italian. What is your name? I am Catarina.'
Alice, five, said afterwards: 'She asked my name in Italian. She spoke Italian very well.' Alice was among a crowd of about 3,000 people who welcomed Catherine at the start of her two-day trip. This is the first solo overseas official visit for the princess since she went to Denmark in 2022 before her cancer treatment, and palace aides describe it as a 'huge moment' for her return.
Yesterday, she wowed her hosts during a royal 'walkabout' outside the town hall. Maria Angelo Redaelli, a teacher who travelled 130 miles to see her, said: 'I just love the Royal Family and I just had to be here. The princess said my hat was very glamorous and I gave her a rose. She is so beautiful.' Marilena Prediere, 43, of Reggio Emilia, added: 'I said give a big hug to your children. I said you are beautiful and it's a pleasure to meet you. This is a historic moment.'
At a pre-school, Catherine said 'ciao' as she joined a group of five youngsters writing animal names. Spotting one that said 'Lupo,' which means wolf in Italian, she remarked: 'That was the name of our dog. Our dog was called Lupo.' A teacher commented that it must have been a big dog, but the princess replied: 'No, it wasn't actually. It had a big personality.'
Outside the Anne Frank infant school, excited youngsters swamped her with hugs and high-fives. After she left, many teachers were moved to tears, underscoring the significance of the royal visit to the small Italian city. Catherine also visited the Loris Malaguzzi International Centre, where she met pioneers of the child-led learning approach for under sixes, which aligns with her Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood. She emphasized the importance of encouraging 'children these days to slow down' because 'their world is so fast-paced now.'
