Kate Middleton has gradually increased her workload since returning to royal duties following her cancer diagnosis and treatment in 2024. And today, Kensington Palace has announced that she will be undertaking her first official overseas trip since 2023.
“The Princess of Wales will visit the city of Reggio Emilia in Northern Italy, between Wednesday 13th and Thursday 14th May, marking a significant next step in the work of The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood as it expands internationally,” Kensington Palace said in a statement today. “Spearheaded by The Princess, the visit will focus on early childhood development and forms part of a high-level fact-finding mission to explore leading international approaches to supporting young children and those who care for them.”
The two-day trip will see Kate, 44, spend time with educators, parents, children and business leaders to see how the city of Reggio Emilia is executing its internationally recognized approach of creating nurturing learning environments. A spokesperson said that she was “very much looking forward” to it.
Kate’s last overseas trip for work was in October 2023 to Marseille to support the England rugby team in her role as patron of the RFU. Her last tour was to the U.S. in late 2022 for Prince William’s Earthshot Prize.
“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,” a spokesperson said. “As the Centre for Early Childhood continues to build its work internationally, this visit is an opportunity to connect the Shaping Us Framework with leading global approaches, and to highlight a shared understanding, that it is in these early years, through the natural world and the warmth of human connection, that we begin to lay the foundations for a resilient and healthy future.”
Kate has made the early years a focus of her work for more than a decade. She launched the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood in 2021. The center has today launched a new social and emotional development guide for people working with young children called Foundations for Life: A Guide to Social and Emotional Development.
Town & Country Contributing Editor Victoria Murphy has reported on the British Royal Family since 2010. She has interviewed Prince Harry and has travelled the world covering several royal tours. She is a frequent contributor to Good Morning America. Victoria authored Town & Country book The Queen: A Life in Pictures, released in 2021.