Duchess Kate is planning her first official overseas visit since recovering from cancer.
Kensington Palace says the British royal family will travel to Italy next week for a two-day solo stint with the Royal Foundation Early Childhood Education Centre.
Kate launched the foundation in 2021 to raise awareness of the impact that early childhood experiences have on later life outcomes.
Between Wednesday and Thursday next week, the princess will spend time in the northern Italian city of Reggio Emilia to explore internationally leading approaches to supporting young children and their caregivers, the palace said in a statement shared with CNN on Wednesday.
The city is known worldwide for its trademarked educational philosophy, the Reggio Emilia approach. The Reggio Emilia approach views children as active and central in their own learning and believes that educational centers should be attuned to children’s different ways of thinking and communicating.
Kensington Palace said the Duchess will meet with educators, parents, children, community and business leaders and see the Reggio Emilia approach in action.
A Kensington Palace spokesperson said in a statement: “The Princess is very much looking forward to visiting Italy next week and seeing first-hand how the Reggio Emilia approach brings together nature and loving relationships to create an environment that supports children’s development.”
This will be Duchess Kate’s first overseas trip since 2022, when she attended the Earthshot Awards ceremony with Prince William in Boston, Massachusetts.
Kate spent much of 2024 battling health issues, but revealed in January last year, months after completing chemotherapy, that her cancer was in remission.
Speaking to patients at Colchester Hospital in south-east England in July, Kate described the post-cancer stage as “really difficult”, adding: “I probably won’t be able to live a normal life at home like I used to.”
However, the princess is gradually returning to her royal duties, traveling around the UK.
