Princess Catherine takes her first solo trip abroad after cancer goes
into remission
[May 13, 2026]
By DANICA KIRKA
LONDON (AP) — Britain’s Princess Catherine is set to make her first
overseas trip since announcing her cancer was in remission, traveling to
Italy for a two-day tour starting Wednesday focused on early childhood
education that will undoubtedly receive widespread media attention.
The princess, commonly known as Kate, will travel to Reggio Emilia in
northern Italy to learn about its child-centered approach to early
education, which has become a focal point for educators around the
world. The trip is part of what her office called an international
“fact-finding mission” to explore different approaches to supporting
young children and their carers.
The choice of destination for Kate’s first trip abroad since her 2024
cancer diagnosis is no coincidence as early years development is the
signature cause of the mother of three who will one day be queen.
“She wants to make a point that she is going to keep making this her
cause," said Joe Little, managing editor of Majesty Magazine.
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.
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, Kensington Palace said
in a statement.
“The Reggio Emilia approach clearly suits the narrative at the start of
international operations,’’ Little said.
The visit is part of her work with the Royal Foundation Centre for Early
Childhood, which she founded in 2021 to increase public understanding of
the importance of supporting children in the first five years of life.
One of Britain’s most popular royals, the Princess of Wales has proved
to be adept at focusing attention on matters she cares about.
When Kate announced that she had completed chemotherapy treatment in a
soft-focus, Insta-ready video, she ventured into realms not previously
inhabited by the royal family, whose members traditionally shied away
from talking about their health.
And she did it in a new way, using social media to share the fact that
for all her wealth and privilege, her life had been upended by cancer,
like so many others.
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Britain's Princess Kate is seen at the British Fashion Council at
180 Studios in central London on May 13, 2025. (Aaron Chown, Pool
Photo via AP, File)
Then, later, when she announced she was in remission, she spent the
day supporting other cancer patients at the hospital where she
received treatment.
In a statement on social media, she offered her thanks to everyone
who helped her and her husband, Prince William, as they navigated
the ups and downs of treatment and recovery. She hugged patients at
the Royal Marsden Hospital in London and described her own treatment
as “exceptional.”
“It is a relief to now be in remission and I remain focused on
recovery," the princess, now 44, wrote in a note signed with her
initial, C. “As anyone who has experienced a cancer diagnosis will
know, it takes time to adjust to a new normal."
Her new normal involves becoming the go-to advocate for early years
education, which refers to the learning and development of children
from birth to five years of age.
There’s lots to do in Britain, where advocates say there aren’t
enough spaces to go around and many teachers don’t have the training
they need.
Edoardo Masset, associate research director at the National
Institute of Economic and Social Research, said Kate’s focus on
early childhood development is important because it brings attention
to an issue that really matters to children.
“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 in a blog post.
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