LONDON – Britain’s Princess of Wales will visit Italy next week for her first official overseas engagement since cancer treatment, Kensington Palace announced on May 6. Princess Kate, wife of heir-to-the-throne Prince William, will spend two days in Reggio Emilia, northern Italy, focusing on early childhood development – the core of her public work.
The trip highlights the Reggio Emilia approach, which emphasizes relationships, environment and community in child development and has shaped global education practices.
A Kensington Palace spokesperson said: “The princess is very much looking forward to visiting Italy next week and seeing first-hand how the Reggio Emilia approach creates environments where nature and loving human relationships come together to support children’s development.”
Princess Kate disclosed in 2024 that she was undergoing chemotherapy for an unspecified cancer and announced remission in 2025. She has since scaled back her schedule, taking each day as it comes, with public appearances gradually increasing – though none abroad with Prince William recently.
Early childhood social and emotional well-being drives her advocacy. The couple have three children: Prince George, 12; Princess Charlotte, 11; and Prince Louis, eight.
She established The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood in 2021 to unite experts and research. On May 6, it released the Foundations for Life guide, with her foreword stating: “In a world which feels increasingly distracted, fragmented and digital… it is more important than ever to invest in what truly helps us to thrive: human connection.”