Princess Kate has arrived in Italy for her first official international visit since revealing her cancer diagnosis, marking a significant milestone in her gradual return to public royal duties.
The Princess of Wales arrived from London on Wednesday, May 13, for a two-day visit to Reggio Emilia, marking her first solo overseas engagement since her 2024 cancer diagnosis.
Kate, who revealed earlier this year that she is in remission, has spoken openly about her slow recovery process, with the Italy trip marking another important step in her return to royal duties.
The visit marks not only Princess of Wales’s return to international duties but also a new phase in her early childhood campaign aimed at encouraging wider global discussion on supporting young children and caregivers.
“She's energized, she's enthused, she's excited,” a royal aide said ahead of the trip.
The aide added, “She’s looking forward to seeing Reggio Emilia in action and meeting the people here too.”
Notably, during her visit she has made early childhood development a key focus of her public work, with aides saying the Italy trip marks an international expansion of those efforts.
As Princess Kate touched down in Italy, Paulo Rosato, senior reporter at Italian newspaper il Resto del Carlino, told PEOPLE, “She is the most popular. She is like Diana Spencer was. She’s a symbol for the good education and the family.”
“This is the best place in italy for her to come. A region of italy that can show a lot of good things. The education, the food," Rosato continued.
The reporter added, "Italy has a lot of problems and the Italians like the royal family because we need a good story, a good representation of family. The announcement of her coming was a point of joy.”
To note, Kate began her visit at City Hall, where she was welcomed by Mayor Marco Massari and introduced to the city’s influential approach to early childhood education before greeting members of the public.
