Princess Kate will be awarded the First Tricolore, the highest honour of the Italian city of Reggio Emilia, during her two-day visit to Italy starting Wednesday. The award recognises her commitment to children's rights and early childhood development.
Mayor Marco Massari confirmed the honour, stating: 'We have agreed with the aforementioned British representatives to present the First Tricolore to Her Royal Highness, the Princess of Wales, Catherine Middleton. Since this is a private visit, the award will not take place during a public ceremony, but we still wanted to recognise our city's highest honour to a figure who, through the establishment of the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood, has placed children's rights at the centre of her public commitment.'
During the trip, Kate will visit schools and meet early childhood experts to learn about the Reggio Emilia approach, a world-famous educational model. A Kensington Palace spokesperson said: 'The princess is very much looking forward to visiting Italy next week and seeing first-hand how the Reggio Emilia approach creates environments where nature and loving human relationships come together to support children's development.'
The visit marks a return to overseas travel for Kate after an extended period due to her cancer diagnosis. A royal aide said: 'The Princess is feeling well and energised about making the trip to Italy. The visit reflects that she is able to begin undertaking international trips like this again, while, of course, still taking a balanced approach.'
