The future queen will travel to northern Italy next week on a fact-finding mission for her early years development research centre with her return to travel marking a major mileston.

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The Princess of Wales is “very much looking forward” to her first international work trip since 2022(Image: PA)

The Princess of Wales will take part in her first official foreign visit in three-and-a-half years next week, travelling to Italy to promote her early years work.

The princess has not carried out an official overseas tour since December 2022, when she accompanied husband Prince William to the finalists’ ceremony of his Earthshot Prize environmental awards.

In February 2024, the future queen was diagnosed with cancer and underwent six months of preventative chemotherapy. She announced she was in remission from the disease in January 2025, but continued her recovery with a staggered return to royal duties as she recovered from her ordeal.

Kate will head to Italy next week on a solo working trip with The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood. It is a major milestone for the future queen.

Aides to the princess shared how she was “very much looking forward” to getting back to international travel and said the visit was an important moment in expanding the Centre for Early Childhood’s work on a global stage.

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The Princess of Wales is “very much looking forward” to her first international work trip since 2022, royal aides said(Image: PA)

Since returning to royal duties following two weeks of hospitalisation in January 2024 for abdominal surgery and her subsequent 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 controversial trip to the Caribbean in March 2022 to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee, before they spent three days in Boston in December 2022.

William had expressed his hopes in November 2024 that his wife would begin to join him again on overseas tours, saying: “I think hopefully Catherine will be doing a bit more next year, so we’ll have some more trips maybe lined up.”

The Prince of Wales is expected to travel to the US for the Fifa World Cup in July, around the same time as commemorations marking the 250th anniversary of American independence.

It is not yet known whether the princess will join him but her return to foreign tours will raise hopes a trip across the Atlantic could happen for the Waleses, following in the footsteps of the King’s high-profile US state visit to see Donald Trump last week.

The princess will visit the city of Reggio Emilia in northern Italy for two days from May 13 to May 14 to focus on early years child development.

During her European stay, Kate will learn more about the Reggio Emilia Approach, an educational philosophy which focuses on the idea that children have the potential for self-development. The princess will also highlight the importance of nurturing environments and loving relationships to a child’s development.

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The Princess of Wales founded the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood in 2021(Image: PA)

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, and to highlight a shared understanding, that it is in these early years, through the natural world and the warmth of human connection, that we begin to lay the foundations for a resilient and healthy future.”

The centre was founded by Kate in 2021 to raise awareness of the importance of early years experiences in shaping society over the long term, and to commission research.

The announcement coincides with a visit by Kate, 44, to the University of East London on Wednesday for the launch of the centre’s new resource for people working with babies, young children and their families.

Palace aides said both the publication and the trip signalled a milestone moment for the princess and the centre’s work in early years both in the UK and abroad.

In February 2022, the princess visited Copenhagen for a two-day solo trip to promote her work on early childhood development. In the Danish capital, Kate specifically focussed on the country’s world-leading approach to infant mental health and outdoor education.

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Princess Kate joined in with the children as they ran around at a Forest Kindergarten in Copenhagen in 2022(Image: Ian Vogler / Daily Mirror)

In the coming months, the centre will work with early years leaders to embed the understanding into entry-level training and ongoing professional development.

Its publication also coincides with new research from the centre which reveals many parents struggle to access clear, consistent, and personalised guidance, with “mixed messages” causing confusion at a time when they most need reassurance.

The First Five Years: A Parent Perspective report says: “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.

“Parents are deeply committed and motivated, yet this lack of clarity can leave them feeling unsure and without the reassurance they need.”