The Princess of Wales is to return to international travel next week in her first overseas royal visit since her cancer treatment.
Kate will travel to Italy from next week on a solo working trip with The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood.
It is a major milestone for the future queen and marks her first extended official foreign trip in almost three-and-a-half years.
Her aides said she was "very much looking forward" to returning to international travel and the visit was an important moment in the expansion of the Centre for Early Childhood's work.
Kate last carried out an official overseas visit in December 2022 when she went to Boston in the US with the Prince of Wales for his Earthshot Prize award ceremony.
She also undertook two brief trips to Marseille, France, for the Rugby World Cup in the autumn of 2023, and went to the Crown Prince of Jordan's wedding in Amman in June 2023. However, these were not considered official foreign tours.
In March 2024, she went public with her diagnosis of an unspecified form of cancer. The princess underwent chemotherapy, and announced she was in remission in January 2025.
The princess will visit the city of Reggio Emilia in northern Italy for two days from 13 to 14 May to focus on early years child development.
During her trip, 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.
She will also highlight the importance of nurturing environments and loving relationships to a child's development.
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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."
The Centre for Early Childhood was founded by Kate in 2021 to raise awareness of the importance of early years experiences and to commission research.
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 of Wales will join him but her return to foreign tours will raise hopes a trip across the Atlantic is on the cards.
(c) Sky News 2026: Details revealed of Kate's first overseas royal trip since cancer treatment
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