Princess Kate, the Princess of Wales, is set to resume international travel next week, embarking on her first official overseas royal visit since her cancer remission was announced early last year. The trip will take her to Italy, where she will undertake a solo working engagement with The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood.
This visit represents a significant milestone for Kate, marking her first extended foreign tour in nearly three and a half years. Insiders reveal that the princess is eagerly anticipating the trip, which not only celebrates her personal recovery but also advances the Centre for Early Childhood’s global outreach efforts.
Kate’s last official international visit occurred in December 2022 when she and the Prince of Wales traveled to Boston for the Earthshot Prize ceremony. While she has made shorter trips to Marseille for the Rugby World Cup in 2023 and attended the Crown Prince of Jordan’s wedding in Amman, these were not classified as official foreign tours.
From May 13 to May 14, Kate will visit Reggio Emilia in northern Italy to focus on early childhood development. She will explore the Reggio Emilia Approach, an educational philosophy that emphasizes children’s natural capacity for self-development. The princess will also promote the critical role of nurturing environments and loving relationships in shaping healthy child development.
A Kensington Palace spokesperson commented, “The princess is very much looking forward to visiting Italy next week and witnessing firsthand how the Reggio Emilia approach integrates nature and warm human connections to support children’s growth. This visit is a pivotal moment as the Centre for Early Childhood expands its influence internationally, linking its Shaping Us Framework with leading educational approaches worldwide.”
Founded by Kate in 2021, the Centre for Early Childhood strives to highlight the profound impact of early experiences in shaping individuals and society, commissioning research and developing resources. Coinciding with her trip, Kate will also visit the University of East London to launch a 109-page guide titled Foundations for Life, which supports professionals and volunteers working with babies and young children in fostering social and emotional development.
In her foreword, the princess emphasizes, “While society often emphasizes academic and physical milestones, our earliest relationships, experiences, and environments lay the groundwork for future health and happiness. The quality of our connections—with ourselves, others, and the world—shapes our sense of safety and how we navigate life.”
She adds, “By age five, the brain reaches 90% of its adult size, making early childhood a crucial window for developing social and emotional skills essential for lifelong wellbeing.”
The centre plans to collaborate with early years leaders to integrate this understanding into training and professional development programs. New research from the centre highlights the challenges many parents face due to inconsistent and unclear guidance, often leaving them confused and in need of reassurance.
The First Five Years: A Parent Perspective report reveals that parents are deeply committed but struggle with mixed messages that hinder their ability to support their children effectively.
Meanwhile, Prince William is expected to attend the FIFA World Cup in the US this July, around the 250th anniversary of American independence. It remains unclear whether Princess Kate will join him. However, her upcoming international visit fuels optimism that she may soon resume transatlantic tours alongside the Prince of Wales, following the King’s recent high-profile US state visit.
Kate was diagnosed with a form of cancer earlier this year and underwent chemotherapy. Since announcing her remission sixteen months ago, she has gradually returned to royal duties, including accompanying the King at state visits and solo public appearances such as the Anzac Day ceremony. The last major tour undertaken jointly by the couple was their Caribbean trip in March 2022, followed by a short visit to Boston at the end of that year. Prince William expressed hope in November 2024 that Catherine would soon join him more frequently on overseas engagements, a prospect now appearing increasingly likely.