The Princess of Wales has been greeted by thousands of wellwishers as she arrived in Italy for her first official foreign visit in three and a half years. Kate was welcomed by huge crowds in Reggio Emilia, where she is carrying out a fact-finding mission on early years development.
Wellwishers held Union flags, some watched from balconies and others cheered when she stepped from her car into the city's main square wearing a blue trouser suit. The Princess, who stepped out to screams and shouts of 'bellissima', launched into a walkabout where people had been waiting up to five hours to see her.
She introduced herself to Italian schoolchildren as 'Caterina', trying out her language skills. 'Parlo un po' d'italiano,' she said, before asking their names. Alice, aged five, said afterwards: 'She asked my name in Italian. She spoke Italian very well.'
At the town hall, Kate received the Primo Tricolore, Reggio Emilia's highest honour, for her efforts in the early years sector. She told the mayor the warm welcome left her 'emotional, seeing everyone'.
The Princess spent half an hour with local 'nonnas' who told her of their work spreading the Reggio Emilia method. She said: 'I love that you put children and childhood at the heart of the community, and I'm really fascinated to learn more about it.'
