“Princess Kate visits Italy in first official overseas trip since cancer treatment”

Reggio Emilia, Italy — Catherine, Princess of Wales, has been given a rapturous welcome in Italy on her first official overseas trip since being treated for cancer.
The British royal is on a two-day solo working trip with the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood, which she launched in 2021 to raise awareness of the importance of early childhood on later life outcomes.

In the small, northern Italian city of Reggio Emilia, the princess looked radiant as she smiled and waved at wellwishers gathered outside the town hall, where she was awarded the city’s highest honor – the Primo Tricolore.

Chants of “Kate, Kate” rang out as she chatted with members of the public on a brief walkabout, admitting to one: “I need to practise my Italian.” Some offered her flowers and gifts.

There was a palpable sense of pride in the city that Catherine had chosen to spotlight its pioneering approach to preschool education – one that has since been replicated in countries across the world.

The “Reggio Emilia Approach” prioritizes creativity, relationships, and hands-on discovery – all themes Catherine has spearheaded with her own work. First developed after World War II, the approach to early learning has become nearly as defining for the city as the local cheese Parmigiano Reggiano.