REGGIO EMILIA, Italy — Princess Catherine arrived in this northern Italian city on Wednesday to crowds of well-wishers, marking her first solo overseas trip since she announced her cancer was in remission. The two-day tour is a “fact-finding mission” into the Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood education, a philosophy that views young children as capable thinkers with many languages of expression, Kensington Palace said.
The princess, who spent a gap year in Florence and speaks some Italian, introduced herself to a group of preschoolers as “Caterina.” “Parlo un po’ d’italiano,” she said, explaining that she spoke a little Italian. She then asked their names and added, “Io sono Catarina.” Later, she said, “It is extraordinary and that is why I wanted to come and visit Reggio Emilia because your history is so rich and I have always been fascinated by the philosophy.”
The choice of destination reflects her sustained focus on early childhood development. She founded the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood in 2021 to raise awareness of the importance of supporting children in the first five years of life. Joe Little, managing editor of Majesty Magazine, said the trip signals her commitment. “She wants to make a point that she is going to keep making this her cause,” Little said. “The Reggio Emilia approach clearly suits the narrative at the start of international operations.”
Kensington Palace said in a statement that the visit would highlight the idea that “the environment and human relationships that surround children are crucial to laying the foundations for a resilient and healthy future.”
The trip is also a personal milestone after a year of cancer treatment. In September 2024, the princess, now 44, announced she had completed chemotherapy in a soft-focus video shared on social media, an unusually direct disclosure from a senior royal. She visited patients at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London and later said, “It is a relief to now be in remission and I remain focused on recovery. As anyone who has experienced a cancer diagnosis will know, it takes time to adjust to a new normal.”
Her focus now returns to early childhood. Edoardo Masset, associate research director at the National Institute of Economic and Social Research, said in a blog post that Kate’s advocacy brings attention to an issue that matters. “This relationship between early years education and success later in life is supported not only by strong theoretical arguments, but also by a large body of evidence on the effectiveness of programs for preschool children,” Masset said.
Residents of Reggio Emilia expressed pride. Francesca Valli, a teacher who practices the Reggio Emilia approach, waited for the princess and said, “I also feel very honored to be here, almost as a representative of my school. For her first visit — and, among other things, her first solo visit after a long illness — the princess has made a very judicious, appropriate and well-considered choice, and this certainly does her honor.”