The Princess of Wales is 'taking it up a gear' after her cancer treatment, which has given her 'a new perspective' on life. As she embarks on her first official royal visit in nearly four years, Catherine is said to be operating at a faster pace – arriving in northern Italy today for a whirlwind two-day trip as part of her crusade for young children.
This marks a significant step forward in her return to full-time duties after her health setbacks, including her cancer diagnosis and chemotherapy treatment. Catherine, 44, is being welcomed to Reggio Emilia to witness the city's crusading work on early years development for children – as she launches a 'global mission' that is expected to see her travelling around the world to spread her passion for improving young lives.
Palace aides said the foreign trip was a 'huge moment' for the princess, whose last solo visit abroad was to Denmark in 2022. One source said: 'She's looking forward to being here, she's energised, she's enthused, she's excited to see Reggio Emilia in action and meet the people here too. This is a global mission'.
Catherine will visit two schools for under-fives and be honoured with an award from the city's mayor for her work. She launched the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood in 2021. As she begins a phased return to royal duties, aides have remarked that there is a different pace to her work, with one saying she is 'taking it up a gear'.
It is understood the cancer diagnosis and surgery in early 2024 has given her 'a new perspective' on all aspects of her life. One palace official said: 'This visit is an important step in the Princess's recovery journey. She takes great joy from this work. I think it is only right that her first international trip since her illness is one that is focused on an issue that she is committed to championing for decades to come, and is a real issue that she wants to shine a spotlight on.'
Improving young lives has been described as Catherine's 'life's work'. Although the future queen began a slow and measured return to public life nine months after her treatment – she was officially in remission in January 2025 – this is her first overseas work trip.
The visit will highlight the origins of the world-renowned 'Reggio Emilia approach' to 'child-led' early years education, which is similar to Montessori. Following the Second World War, residents – many of them women – financed some of Italy's inaugural nursery schools by selling scrap metal salvaged from equipment left behind by retreating German forces. These pioneering efforts laid the groundwork for the educational philosophy, which is now influential worldwide and aligns closely with Catherine's focus on children's social and emotional wellbeing.
Christian Guy, executive director of the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood, who is on the trip, said the princess believed many of today's 'deepest social issues' could be traced back to events in the early years when children's brains are being formed. He said: 'Early childhood isn't just a stage of human growth, it is a societal strategy. When we raise happy, healthy children, we build a happier, healthier society for everyone.' Catherine, he said, was determined to spread understanding about the critical importance of the early years around the world, and was keen to see the Reggio Emilia approach for herself.
British diplomat Kassim Ramji, the Consul General in Milan, said the visit marked an important moment in UK-Italy relations. Tomorrow Catherine will meet locals and learn how to make pasta at a traditional rural lunch outside Reggio Emilia, renowned as Italy's culinary capital and for its Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. As a young woman, the princess spent a formative gap year in Italy as she immersed herself in the language and art history at the British Institute of Florence. An aide also said: 'She was remembering the happy memories that she had during her time in Florence on her gap year. She's had many conversations with her husband the Prince of Wales, and her children about this trip, and they're looking forward to hearing about it on her return to the UK.'
