Italy cheers Kate on first visit since cancer diagnosis

REGGIO EMILIA, ITALY:

Britain's Princess Catherine was greeted with cheers during a visit to Italy on Wednesday on her first official foreign trip since her 2024 cancer diagnosis.

The Princess of Wales, whose husband Prince William is the heir to the British throne, was welcomed in the northern Italian city of Reggio Emilia. At the start of the two-day trip, she met the city's mayor Marco Massari as hundreds of cheering onlookers waved British flags and held up signs reading "Ciao Kate" and "We love you, Kate!"

Early education is a subject close to the princess's heart as a mother of three children—George, 12, Charlotte, 11, and Louis, eight. "Knowing that this is her first trip abroad after her hospitalisation, it means a lot. Our city, although small, today has its name in all the newspapers," said Menna Moursi, a local resident.

Princess Catherine's trip will focus on her work in early years child development, said a Kensington palace statement, adding that the 44-year-old is looking forward to "seeing first-hand how the Reggio Emilia approach creates environments where nature and loving human relationships come together".

Her last official trip abroad was in December 2022 when she travelled to Boston in the United States with William for the awarding of environmental Earthshot prize. She announced in March 2024 that she had been diagnosed with cancer, without revealing which type and that she had begun chemotherapy.

In January 2025 she said she was in remission from cancer, and has been gradually returning to public royal duties. In past years, Catherine has addressed themes of forging connections, the healing power of nature and acts of kindness, as well as her work with children and families.