It seems fair to say that the Princess of Wales has had a standout solo trip abroad this week, her first since her cancer recovery. Arriving in Italy, the Princess charmed the locals of Reggio Emilia (near Bologna) and many from further afield who’d travelled for a chance to see her. Many people brought flowers to offer Kate, and she stopped to chat with the crowds, which included young children and babies.
According to the BBC, there were more than 1,000 well-wishers lining the streets for the Princess’ arrival. A woman named Georgia, who had come from Modena to see the Princess, told the publication, ‘She reminds us of Diana,’ and described Kate as ‘a wonderful woman and so beautiful’. Others said she was a ‘humanitarian’ and ‘close to the people’ – sentiments often used to describe Kate’s late mother-in-law, Princess Diana.
In photos and videos from throughout Kate’s visit, she can be seen smiling, laughing and chatting freely with those she encounters. It’s this Diana-like quality that appears to have won over the Italian people during her two-day visit to the nation. Kate had already tested out her Italian language skills by introducing herself as Catarina (the Italian version of Catherine) and, according to the BBC, the children chanted ‘Principessa, principessa!’ (Italian for Princess) while they waited to see her.
The reason for the Princess’ visit was to learn more about an innovative approach to raising young children (known as the Reggio Emilia Approach), as part of her work with the Royal Foundation Centre of Early Childhood. Across the two-day trip, Kate met with a number of experts, school children and even young adults who had been raised in this way. On Instagram, she described the method as, ‘a philosophy of early learning centred on creativity, relationships and hands-on discovery’.
To learn more, the Princess joined in with classes, which involved crafting and movement activities, and visited the Loris Malaguzzi Centre, ‘where children’s learning is expressed through paint, clay, movement, shadow, sound, and play’, and also spoke with experts from around the world. An ardent lover of the outdoors, Kate also spent time at a morning assembly outside, at a school where nature is considered ‘the third teacher’.
Kate rounded off her visit to Italy with a personal letter shared on social media. She wrote: ‘Over the past two days in Reggio Emilia, I have seen first hand the power of nature and creativity that put human connection at the centre of a child’s world.’ She described her time there as ‘deeply moving and unforgettable’ and thanked the people of Reggio Emilia for welcoming her ‘into a culture of care with such warmth and generosity’.
The Princess of Wales ended her message by saying, ‘Our collective work in early childhood must be to protect and nurture the connections that form the foundations of lifelong wellbeing.’
