The Princess of Wales is heading to Italy this week, marking her first royal official trip overseas in nearly three-and-a-half years, as she expands her early years work internationally
Words: Donna Smiley
Princess Kate has returned to official overseas travel this week for the first time since her cancer diagnosis, visiting Italy as part of her early childhood work.
The future queen, who has been in remission for more than a year, is said to be looking forward to resuming duties abroad after not travelling overseas since going public with her cancer diagnosis in March 2024.
She underwent chemotherapy after being diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer earlier that year, and announced she was in remission in January 2025.
The two-day trip marks a significant milestone in her recovery and the next phase of her mission to highlight the importance of a child’s first five years, described by aides as her “life’s work”. They said the visit represents an important step in expanding the work of her Centre for Early Childhood on a global stage.
Her last official solo overseas visit was to Copenhagen in February 2022, where she observed the Scandinavian approach to early childhood. She last travelled abroad on official duties in December 2022, visiting Boston in America with the Prince of Wales for his Earthshot Prize awards ceremony.
She also made brief trips to Marseille in France for the Rugby World Cup in autumn 2023 and attended the wedding of the Crown Prince of Jordan in Amman in June 2023, although these were not considered official foreign tours.
The Princess of Wales will spend two days, from 13 to 14 May, in the northern Italian city of Reggio Emilia, meeting educators, local leaders, parents and children.
Described by Kensington Palace as a high-level fact-finding mission, the visit will see her learn more about the Reggio Emilia Approach, an internationally recognised educational philosophy centred on the belief that children have strong potential for self-development.
She will also highlight the importance of nurturing environments and loving relationships in supporting a child’s development. The princess has long championed the role of connection and nature in family life and is said to have been keen to see the region’s childcare system in person.
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.”
The Centre for Early Childhood, founded by Kate in 2021, aims to raise awareness of the importance of early years experiences and commission research. She is also helping to launch a new resource for professionals and volunteers working with babies, young children and families.
In recent months, the princess has increased her public appearances, while acknowledging the challenges of balancing royal duties with family life as a busy mother of three.
Two weeks ago, at a Buckingham Palace reception marking 100 years since the late Queen’s birth, she said some engagements can feel overwhelming. “I find these environments are really hard,” she said. “I’ve also got a very soft voice, so I always get told, ‘Speak up a bit louder.’”
It has been two years since she first spoke publicly about her diagnosis, and she is said to have been working to find “the right balance” ever since.
“The next couple of months are busy ones for the royals, with the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, Royal Ascot, the Order of the Garter ceremony and Trooping the Colour,” former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond told The Mirror.
“Catherine will be on parade for most of them, but these are also busy months in the school calendar. She won’t want to miss the sports days and end-of-term activities. So, like many working parents, she will be juggling her work and home responsibilities.
“However, with the long summer evenings approaching, she can enjoy time outdoors with her family at the end of the day. That remains her main way of unwinding and rebalancing.”
