The Princess of Wales has embarked on her first major royal tour in more than three years, arriving in Italy to learn about an innovative approach to early years teaching for children as part of her Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood.
Kate was welcomed to Reggio Emilia by Mayor Marco Massari as hundreds of locals gathered in the city’s Piazza Prampolini, offering a rapturous reception outside the town hall. Some held Union flags, others watched from balconies, and many cheered as she stepped from her car wearing a trouser suit and waved to the crowds.
Before entering the town hall, Kate crouched down to speak with nursery-age children near the entrance and spent several minutes chatting with the mayor. On the steps, she again turned to wave to the cheering crowds, who responded enthusiastically.
The two-day visit to Reggio Emilia, near Bologna, marks a "really significant moment" after her cancer recovery, an aide said, with Kate "taking it up a gear" in her "global mission." The future Queen will take her early years crusade around the world to start a conversation about the issue, the aide added.
Early years has been central to Kate’s public work for over a decade. This visit follows her launch last week of a new resource for people working with youngsters and their families from her foundation.
Kate’s last official overseas visit was in December 2022, when she accompanied the Prince of Wales to Boston, USA, for the Earthshot Prize awards. While she made brief trips to Marseille, France, for the Rugby World Cup in autumn 2023 and attended the Crown Prince of Jordan’s wedding in Amman in June 2023, these were not classified as official foreign tours by her royal household.
During her European stay, Kate will learn more about the Reggio Emilia Approach, an educational philosophy focusing on children’s potential for self-development. She will also highlight the importance of nurturing environments and loving relationships to a child’s development.
The centre was founded by Kate in 2021 to raise awareness of the importance of early years experiences in shaping society over the long term and to commission research.
Kate was diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer early in 2024, for which she underwent chemotherapy, and announced she was in remission 16 months ago in January 2025. She has gradually returned to royal duties, including supporting the King at state visits to the UK. In April, she joined the royal family to mark the 100th anniversary of the late Queen Elizabeth II’s birth and made a solo appearance at the Cenotaph on Anzac Day.
The Waleses’ last major, lengthy tour together was their controversial trip to the Caribbean in March 2022 to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee, before they spent three days in Boston in December 2022.
