When it was announced that Princess Kate’s first official trip outside the United Kingdom after her cancer would be to Reggio Emilia, many were left wondering why. It’s not Paris, it’s not New York, and it’s not any of the capitals you might imagine for such a symbolic return.
But it makes perfect sense if you’ve been following her royal work for years, because this visit is the first stop in what her own team calls a global mission on early childhood.
The central focus is the Royal Foundation’s Centre for Early Childhood, which Kate founded in 2021 and has been her most personal project ever since. The core idea is that a child’s first five years of life shape everything, and she has long been striving to convey that message with the same urgency as climate change, according to Christian Guy, the Center’s director.
Reggio Emilia marks the beginning of an international program that will see her exploring educational models in various countries over the coming months. The Reggio Emilia Approach, developed by educator Loris Malaguzzi in the post-war period, aligns perfectly with what she seeks: a pedagogy rooted in listening, relationships, and the environment as the “third educator.”
The trip lasted two days, and she was alone—without Guillermo or their children. She arrived at Parma airport with a discreet but substantial security detail and visited the Sala del Tricolore in the city hall, the Loris Malaguzzi International Center, the Remida creative space where industrial waste is transformed into materials for workshops, and several schools.
Those who work with her today describe her as more focused and more determined than before her illness.
And there’s one important detail: Kate’s personal connection to Italy predates all of this. She studied in Florence during her gap year before starting university and meeting Prince William.
It doesn’t seem like a coincidence that she chose to return here for this fresh start, with the children in the picture and a project she’s been building for years.