The Princess of Wales is set to mark a significant milestone in her royal duties by undertaking her first official foreign visit in three-and-a-half years. Next week, she will travel to northern Italy to promote her early years development work through The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood.
The future queen has not carried out an official overseas tour since December 2022, when she accompanied her husband, Prince William, to the finalists' ceremony of his Earthshot Prize environmental awards. In February 2024, she was diagnosed with cancer and underwent six months of preventative chemotherapy. She announced she was in remission in January 2025, but continued her recovery with a staggered return to royal duties.
Kate will head to Italy on a solo working trip, which aides describe as a major milestone. They shared that she is "very much looking forward" to returning to international travel and emphasised the importance of expanding the Centre for Early Childhood's work on a global stage.
Since returning to royal duties after her cancer diagnosis, the princess undertook two brief trips: one to Marseille, France, for the Rugby World Cup in autumn 2023, and another to the Crown Prince of Jordan's wedding in Amman in June 2023. However, these were not considered official foreign tours. The Waleses' last major lengthy tour together was their trip to the Caribbean in March 2022, followed by three days in Boston in December 2022.
Prince William expressed hopes in November 2024 that his wife would join him on overseas tours again, stating: "I think hopefully Catherine will be doing a bit more next year, so we'll have some more trips maybe lined up." He is expected to travel to the US for the FIFA World Cup in July, around the time of the 250th anniversary of American independence. It remains uncertain whether the princess will accompany him, but her return to foreign tours raises hopes for a transatlantic trip.
The princess will visit Reggio Emilia in northern Italy from May 13 to 14, focusing on early years child development. She will learn about the Reggio Emilia Approach, an educational philosophy emphasising children's potential for self-development, and highlight the importance of nurturing environments and loving relationships.
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. As the Centre for Early Childhood continues to build its work internationally, this visit is an opportunity to connect the Shaping Us Framework with leading global approaches."
The centre, founded by Kate in 2021, aims to raise awareness of the importance of early years experiences in shaping society. The announcement coincides with a visit by Kate to the University of East London for the launch of a new resource for professionals working with babies, young children, and families.
Palace aides said both the publication and the trip signal a milestone moment for the princess and the centre's work. In February 2022, Kate visited Copenhagen for a solo trip focusing on early childhood development, particularly Denmark's approach to infant mental health and outdoor education.
In the coming months, the centre will work with early years leaders to embed understanding into training and professional development. New research from the centre reveals that many parents struggle to access clear, consistent guidance, with "mixed messages" causing confusion. The First Five Years: A Parent Perspective report states: "Many spoke of wanting more information to help them understand what their child is experiencing and how best to support them, while also struggling to navigate inconsistent advice and mixed messages."
