The Princess of Wales is about to undertake her first official overseas trip since revealing in 2024 that she had cancer.
Kate will travel to Reggio Emilia in the north of Italy next week on a two-day visit for her Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood. The city, approximately 50 kilometres from Bologna, is known for its high-quality early childhood education approach, which is centred on child-led, experiential learning.
The princess’ last foreign solo trip was four years ago, when she travelled to Denmark.
It’s yet another positive development in Kate’s health recovery, and comes a little over two years since she announced in an emotional video message that she had been diagnosed with cancer.
She completed her chemotherapy in September 2024, and announced early last year that she was in remission.
While Kate initially followed a gradual return to duties after her health battle, she has been back on deck full-time in recent months with a number of high-profile appearances, including at a service to mark Anzac Day late last month.
On Wednesday, she will visit the University of East London to launch her Foundations for Life guide
In the foreword, she wrote: “By age five, our brains have already grown to 90 per cent of their adult size … making early childhood a critical window for developing the social and emotional skills that become the bedrock of lifelong wellbeing.”
Meanwhile, the announcement of her Italian trip comes just days after the King and Queen returned from their state visit to the US, where they were hosted by President Donald Trump and his wife, Melania.
During the historic four-day tour, the royal couple spent two days in Washington DC before heading to New York City and then Virginia for the day.
The Queen then flew back to the UK while the King made a brief visit to Bermuda – marking his first official trip to a British Overseas Territory as monarch.