REGGIO EMILIA — Princess Catherine will travel to Reggio Emilia in northern Italy for a two-day tour focused on early childhood education, her first overseas trip since announcing that her cancer was in remission. The visit is part of an international fact-finding mission by her office to explore different approaches to supporting young children and their carers.
Princess Catherine was diagnosed with cancer in 2024 and underwent six months of chemotherapy treatment. She announced in a video posted on social media that she had completed chemotherapy, and later confirmed that her cancer was in remission. "It is a relief to now be in remission and I remain focused on recovery," she wrote in a note signed with her initial C. In the social media statement, she thanked everyone who had helped her and Prince William during her treatment and recovery.
Catherine founded the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood in 2021. The centre aims to increase public understanding of the importance of supporting children in the first five years of life.
The Reggio Emilia approach is based on the idea that young children have many different ways of thinking, understanding and expressing themselves, and that teachers need to work with their students to help them learn. According to a statement from Kensington Palace, the visit will highlight the idea that the environment and human relationships that surround children are crucial to laying the foundations for a resilient and healthy future.
Edoardo Masset, associate research director at the National Institute of Economic and Social Research, addressed the topic in a blog post. "This relationship between early years education and success later in life is supported not only by strong theoretical arguments, but also by a large body of evidence on the effectiveness of programs for preschool children," Masset said.
Catherine later visited the Royal Marsden Hospital in London, where she hugged patients. She described her own treatment as "exceptional."