On Tuesday, the Princess of Wales’ aides briefed the media about Kate’s two-day trip to northern Italy, which starts today. This visit isn’t structured like a state visit or royal tour. One might even say it’s more like a “quasi-royal tour” in the same vein as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s trips to Australia, Nigeria, Colombia, Jordan, etc. Kate’s Italian trip is singularly focused on Early Years, but of course she’s picking up a very special keen award as well (a flag). Still, Kate’s aides are desperately trying to fluff up this trip to make it sound like it’s the biggest, keenest and most significant tour ever.
The Princess of Wales will take her early years crusade around the world to start a conversation about the issue with renewed vigour following her cancer experience, an aide has said. Kate is expected to travel the globe promoting the importance of the crucial first few years of a child’s life starting with her trip to Italy to learn about a unique decades-long project nurturing youngsters.
The two-day visit to Reggio Emilia, near Bologna, starting on Wednesday is the beginning of a “really significant moment” after her cancer recovery, an aide has said, with Kate “taking it up a gear” in pursuit of her “global mission”.
Christian Guy, executive director of Kate’s Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood, who has travelled to Italy, said early years had the same urgency as other global issues such as climate change.
Kate revealed at the start of last year she was in remission after receiving chemotherapy treatment for an undisclosed form of cancer. She has not travelled abroad for a major visit since December 2022 when she went to Boston in the US with the Prince of Wales for his Earthshot Prize award ceremony.
An aide to the princess said: “Undoubtedly, this is a huge moment for the princess. Although there will be many highlights of 2026, I think this being her first official international visit, post her recovery, I think this is a really significant moment for her.”
For more than a decade early years has been central to the future Queen’s public work and the visit comes after Kate launched last week a new resource for people working with youngsters and their families from her Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood.
During her visit Kate will learn about the Reggio Emilia Approach, named after the city that pioneered the teaching method recognised across the globe, that stresses the importance of the parents, educators and environment – “the third teacher” – that surround a child.
The aide added: “She’s looking forward to being here, she’s energised, she’s enthused, she’s excited to see Reggio Emilia in action and meet the people here too.”
They went on to say: “She wants to look at other models around the world and really create a global conversation.”
Kate will be welcomed to Reggio Emilia by the city’s mayor, Marco Massari, who will present her with the city’s highest honour in recognition of her early years work during a town hall ceremony. The reception will feature civil leaders and Kate will be joined by some of the key figures, now in their later years, who played a key role in shaping the Emilio Reggio education philosophy.
The foundation’s executive director said about Kate: “Building on her UK and international work in this area for many years, the princess is here with her Centre for Early Childhood to lead a new global conversation about this, believing we now need to focus on early brain development and nurturing the whole child with the same urgency and sense of mission as other global challenges like climate change – if we truly want to get ahead of these challenges in the future. This is about genuine prevention.”
“…Believing we now need to focus on early brain development…” It never fails to crack me up that Kate was incandescent with rage when Meghan said “baby brain” SYMPATHETICALLY to Kate, and now Kate’s whole thing is “well actually baby brains are important!” As for the new branding of Kate’s busywork – “a global mission,” bless her heart. Is she going to travel the world, listening, learning and keening about the Early Years? Or is this Italian trip just some international busywork which was hastily thrown together after the Sussexes were so well received in Australia?
Also: “She has not travelled abroad for a major visit since December 2022 when she went to Boston…” Are vacations not “major visits”? Because she’s taken multiple vacations in Mustique, France and Greece since the summer of 2024.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.
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- Catherine – Princess of Wales poses for a photo with staff at Sudbury Silk Mills, Sudbury, England, UK on Thursday 11 September, 2025 before greeting members of the public.,Image: 1036108474, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: Please credit photographer and agency when publishing as Justin Ng/UPPA/Avalon., Model Release: no, Credit line: Justin Ng/Avalon
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- The Princess of Wales during a visit to Home-Start in Oxford, as Home-Start UK prepares to roll out training to their 9000-strong network of volunteers based on The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood’s Explainer Series. Picture date: Thursday October 9, 2025.,Image: 1044351733, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: – Fee Payable Upon reproduction – For queries contact Avalon sales@Avalon.red London +44 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles +1 310 822 0419 Berlin +49 30 76 212 251 Madrid +34 91 533 42 89, *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Avalon.red/Avalon
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- 08/05/2026. London, UK. The Prince and Princess of Wales during the King’s Garden Party at Buckingham Palace. The Garden Parties celebrate frontline workers from across the United Kingdom. The Parties will recognise the dedication and contribution of those who serve their communities through volunteering, supporting charitable causes and working for emergency services.,Image: 1097519856, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: © Kensington Palace. This image may only be used for news or editorial reporting purposes. This image must NOT be used for any commercial or other use, save for news or editorial reporting and cannot be altered or amended in any manner or form whatsoever., Model Release: no, Credit line: Andrew Parsons / Kensington Palace/Avalon
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- 08/05/2026. London, UK. The Prince and Princess of Wales during the King’s Garden Party at Buckingham Palace. The Garden Parties celebrate frontline workers from across the United Kingdom. The Parties will recognise the dedication and contribution of those who serve their communities through volunteering, supporting charitable causes and working for emergency services.,Image: 1097519925, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: © Kensington Palace. This image may only be used for news or editorial reporting purposes. This image must NOT be used for any commercial or other use, save for news or editorial reporting and cannot be altered or amended in any manner or form whatsoever., Model Release: no, Credit line: Andrew Parsons / Kensington Palace/Avalon
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- The Princess of Wales meets guests during a Royal Garden Party at Buckingham Palace, London, to celebrate frontline workers from across the United Kingdom and recognise the dedication and contribution of those who serve their communities through volunteering, supporting charitable causes and working for emergency services Featuring: Catherine Princess of Wales Where: London, United Kingdom When: 08 May 2026 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
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- The Princess of Wales meets guests during a Royal Garden Party at Buckingham Palace, London, to celebrate frontline workers from across the United Kingdom and recognise the dedication and contribution of those who serve their communities through volunteering, supporting charitable causes and working for emergency services Featuring: Catherine Princess of Wales Where: London, United Kingdom When: 08 May 2026 Credit: Aaron Chown/PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
YOUR CRITICS WILL EVENTUALLY COPY YOU 🤣🤣🤣
They forgot to mention her cancer, treatment or recovery. Lazy journalism!! s/
Right!? I’m sorry she may have had cancer and subsequent treatments. But come on! Those of us who have had cancer, surgery, radiation, etc. were up and back to work, my gosh so sick of these excuses. I had 36 days of radiation and went to work each of those days.
Sorry to disappoint but… “following her cancer experience ” I mean I love the term experience. Not cancer..but cancer “experience “. Like who has had cancer or anything and called it an experience.
They’ll be calling it a ‘journey’ next!
KP won’t be thrilled that this visit will be overshadowed by the media meltdown over Starmer- does he stay or does he go? Ironic really given all the debate about what makes an effective leader when we are about to get a lazy and lacklustre King and consort whom we can’t sack!
So wait she’s going to start traveling the globe to talk about early years? Not just in Italy? Well, bless her heart . Hopefully those pie charts can come in handy.
Is she taking someone of substance, say an asst. commissioner of education? If not, what a waste of time and money.
I’m assuming the director of the center is going with her. His salary must be paid for by the Royal Foundation?
Gotta make it a “business” trip so it’s *all* paid for by the plebs. But, but,,, THE SCHOOL RUNS!!!! WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO THE SCHOOL RUNS if Kitty is out of the country???
It’s absolutely ridiculous. Is it good that she’s traveling for work? sure. But she didn’t stop because of “cancer.” she stopped because they got criticism after the Caribbean tour and the Boston tour was also a flop.
The way this woman is infantilized….
I’ve never heard so much praise for someone stating the obvious about childhood development.
Don’t forget we were also told that she couldn’t possibly travel overseas while her children were “young”
I actually don’t know the answer to this, so I am hoping someone can tell me.
With all this traveling and videos and keenness articles about Kate’s supposed passion for Early Years Whatever–for years and years,
has Kate *ever* put out, in academic journals or popular sociology or women’s magazines, etc., articles summing up what she has learned? Any advice for, say, disadvantaged mothers, any government guidelines for proper child-rearing? Anything at all that can turn her supposed theory into praxis?
If not, what the holy hell is she wasting her time for?
I mean, I have heard of lowered expectations, but this is beyond the pale.
🎯
Anybody know where her devoted husband is, while she is working ?
On the Aston Villa fan sites
On the phone with his friends trying to beg a free private plane ride to Turkey to watch soccer.
@lady digby
We don’t, but we also do.
I for one welcome a solo tour. When certain couples royal or not travel, the woman’s outfit is always the focus and I imagine that takes a rare equanimity to not feel constantly upstaged and irritated. Everyone is freed from the specter of the sulking husband.
And also: that slight over her offering him coffee, the fact that he walks beside her not touching or looking at her so that if you photoshopped her out you would not miss anything…he is not nice to her. So many here say they were never a love match. But I believe they were. I certainly believe she never thought after eight years together before marriage and then three children he would turn on her the way he has, and it’s gruesome to watch her try to keep it together. I hope it’s a nice trip and goes well.
He keot her waiting for years when other women turned him down he settled for keen. I don’t see any sign of a love match
Tell us you don’t know what a love match is without……etc.
@NoHope
Your faith won’t help here. In the church just before the wedding, still not entirely sober after a stag party until dawn, William
locked himself in a room and refused to come out, and Harry spent almost an hour trying to get him to look decent and finally convince him to walk down the aisle.
I know you’re looking for a love story, but you won’t find it in WK. Shortly after George’s arrival, William disappeared for a few months, spending time with his friends and Jecca. That video of a completely drunk William, wild on the dance floor and hugging some women, comes from that period.
Kate never actually dated William. She was a stalker, not a girlfriend, and after the forced marriage, which came about because of a lack of other options and Carole’s pressure, Kate always spent more time with her mother than with William, who managed to pretend to be her husband for a few months, but was quickly caught on video and in photos, looking at Kate with contempt, especially when she spoke, leaving her on the steps of the plane with George in her arms when she could barely walk…
But ultimately, they deserve each other. They’re both terrible, lazy, and stupid people with a penchant for violence. You could say they’re a good match 🤣
It’s whatever in love means
I think she may have thought she loved him once. He def never did, but they did seem to get along well enough at least in public for the first few years. Something went off the rails about 10 years ago and it wasn’t just Harry and Meghan becoming an item.
No, I’m mostly concerned about her very tiny children and how do they cope going to school in car without their very special parents – and the SIX PLUS rpos. Omg can George manage going to school without mummy? George must be a very needy child if his parent’s need to take him to school. With his personal several RPOs
I would love to know if he even handles this with both himself and the nanny or if Carole is there.
On the school run of course. 🤭
None of them drop off the children: not Kate, not William, not Carole, not the nannies. Security guards have always done it and stayed with them in the classroom. That means they’re definitely with George during class.
There were protests outside the school once because when they dropped off the children, the street was blocked, and other parents with children had to wait for George to enter the building, sometimes for as long as 20 minutes. Reporters then stopped one of the mothers, and she said that no parent had ever been there, that only security always dropped off the children. I wonder what these parents think when they hear Kate’s excuses that she can’t work because she’s dropping off the children.
A whole lot of words without any substance whatsoever. No new initiatives outlined, no promises of follow through, no plans on how what she “listens to and learns” will be implemented in future work by her own “Centre.” It’s one long con. When will the people of Britain wake up?!
She’s going to awkwardly clomp around, making maniacal faces at people while jazz-handing, she’ll be photoed with one child of color, she’ll wear something that’s a Meghan copy and/or ill-fitting, and she’ll talk about how one of her kids likes whatever activity is dumbed down for her. Wash, rinse, repeat like all her other 30 minute work outings.
🎯
Starting a conversation about this around the world is she?
I’m sure no-one else is already talking about this, thank goodness we have her to save the babies.
The conversation started many year’s ago. Keen just shows up for photo ops
Annual Ahrly Yahs foreign tours, just like earthsh*t. Because no one in the world knows that it is important for a child and a caregiver to have a bond 🙄
Or that parents need support….
At least she left British soil for something that she can package as work for the subjects I guess🤷🏻♀️…
It’s gone from “her life’s work” to “a global mission”. With this in mind, is Kate only to going to visit western countries?
Jeez, how many times did they cram the words “globe” or “global” into this article? I guess Kate is also looking to be a global statesman.
As many times as they crammed in the word “significant.” Empty words.
Didn’t she and her husband take away some public trails when they grabbed forest lodge. Less space for nay cha walks for families
Take your Early Years nature time elsewhere, plebes!
I’m truly tired of slipping in her non cancer every fricken article. She was able to travel for vacations and to be seen skiing so let’s stop the drama of the suddenly being able to travel for a nice photo op and time in Italy without her incandescent husband!!
Sorry, her “non-cancer”? Was that a typo?
I don’t believe she ever had cancer. I believe she is a liar.
Her staff think repeating “really significant moment” many times will make it significant. OK, what’s significant about it? Traveling isn’t significant per se, because we already know she can and has traveled abroad for multiple vacations recently. Are we supposed to think it’s significant because she’s going to “start” or even “lead” a global conversation, when you’re also telling us she’s still listening and learning? Which is it? And how insulting to existing education groups and organizations who never asked Kate to “lead” them.
Guessing she takes 1-2 other quick trips, max, then this latest bit of keenery sinks onto oblivion like other Wales projects.
So Kate’s listening and learning excercise goes global.
” …. that stresses the importance of ……. environment – the third teachet – ….” I am wondering what they mean by that. Homelessness, substandard housing, poverty, hunger or experiencing conflict?
Kate’s work with her Early year foundation appears to exist in a such bubble, removed from the reality of many families.
She needs to make these events credible by inviting a scholar in the field as keynote speaker. Instead of keen preening and posing and saying early years are important. I doubt she will though since she makes it all about her.
As a person with multiple chronic illnesses (a malabsorption disorder that requires periotic iron infusions or blood transfusions, and a condition that causes frequent kidney stones. The latter has permanently damaged my kidneys, and I’ve had to have dialysis a couple times when they were failing). It sucks that I often feel like I’m 63 instead of 33, but I get on with my life because, you know, I HAVE TO. Like most people with a chronic illness or disability, or those who are recovering from something as serious as cancer, I hate it when people treat me like a feeble, sickly child. The way the RR speak of Kate and her recovery, with all the nauseating infantilization, is so fucking patronizing and gross. The way they report on this solo trip, they might as well be clapping their hands and praising her for going big potty. I would feel so humiliated by this treatment and tell off whoever was doing it, but she actively encourages it! The woman has no self-respect. None.
Yup, I’m in a similar boat and still have to work and show up. My mother had three types of cancer and had to go through treatment last year. Kate and her pre-cancerous cells and the subsequent years of cotton wool wrap around her never fail to get me in rant-mode.
“Urgency”, indeed. As if.
Oh for heaven’s sake, a 2-hour flight hardly makes her an international jet-setter and so typical that this whole thing is centered around her and her “cancer recovery.”
What is the point here? After a over a decade she still can’t articulate the mission – “This is about prevention.” Prevention of what?
I am surprised she was not given an award for the all important school runs
😂😂😂
I have often wondered what all the other parents who do take their children to Lambrook School think about the lies Willie & Kate tell about their “school run”. Cos I’m sure neither of them actually drive their children to school. That job is done by the chauffeur & nanny.
Kate’s early years ventures within Britain are stale. Bussing in British schoolchildren to stand in the rain is no longer playing well, and she can only visit Britain’s handful of children’s research groups so many times.
What to do? Let’s bus in some Italian schoolchildren and meet with some Italian education specialists! If we call it “significant,” the Fail will print that. Paris in Septembert?
But did Kate’s team ask the dedicated early childhood folks, who have spent their careers collaborating, if they need her to “start the conversation” or “lead” them?
It was the skiing holidays that were significant, if she was fit enough to ski she was fit enough for work a year and a half ago.
C Shippy says this visit is laying the ground work for Kate to travel globally to other countries and see their “early years” work.
So Willyleaks travels for his “groundbreaking” Earth prize and now K will travel to learn about early years
huh
Simon Vigar, Channel 5 news royal correspondent, said same: they are both going global with their passions, and then added with a straight face he for Earthshot (and Jason) and her for Early Years. Play is an important part of learning which is why she came down a slide last time and all the dressing up skits and macho posturing in vromvrom cars!!
On the taxpayer dime for their pet projects, one of which partners with private equity money and both of which draw some of their funding from the unrestricted slush fund of the Royal foundation.
I have no doubt this is what the Palace is telling reporters but I’ll believe she wants to travel more when I see it.
I sometimes think her staff cooked up this early years nonsense because they didn’t trust that Kate! would understand anything more complex than “the early years are important!”
She might actually be useful if she went beyond the basics and highlighted how poverty, food insecurity and other adverse childhood experiences affect children. But this is all namby-pamby Child Development 101 and now, lucky Italy, she’s exporting it.
Early Years was probably a Momager Mid idea to push her Second Daughter (and herself) into inner royal circles. Second Daughter would do the learning and the hard work, the Duchess would grin and gesticulate from time to time at events and Mum would run the business. The Palaces wouldn’t have it so the Duchess was stuck with the Early Years that she couldn’t care less, the Second Daughter a graduation and a book and soon, probably a nursery, so Momager Mid is still at it.
She’s like an AI bot who’s come to life.
Travelling the world to evangelize about the importance of early childhood development might have been important in 1926, but it’s 2026! Going on a fact-finding mission today about a well-established education system is laughable. She would have more credibility if she travelled with some educators or academics. What’s she going to do- go back to England and educate teachers about what’s she’s found out? She should just sponsor actual teachers to go to Italy to observe the system first hand. This so clearly shows that they really need to do something about Kates’ ineffectiveness. When she and William did their first tour of Canada, she was asked what her role was going to be and she said she just didn’t let William down. In England she became patron of a few charities where she just needed to show up, listen and learn, a traditional role. It wasn’t until Meghan showed up and brought a different idea of what a royal spouse could achieve that Kate’s people decided she needed a project, like First Ladies in the US have “projects.” Kate doesn’t seem to be a person with a lot of initiative, so what should have happened from the beginning was to find her a mentor. But as Prince Edward once pointed out, there is no training for their role, and no retirement. That part is an institutional failure. Courtiers didn’t need to mentor Meghan on how to be an effective humanitarian but they certainly needed mentoring on how to help an effective humanitarian get done what she wants done. The palace needed a tune-up to play in the twenty-first century, but they preferred to be discordant and screeching in everyone’s ears.
“What’s she going to do- go back to England and educate teachers about what’s she’s found out? ”
No, because he won’t be able to repeat it:))))
——–🤣———-
Besides, teachers already know all this; these organizations have been working with schools for decades.
This is just news to Kate, like everything else besides following and copying Meghan and showing off bare butt.
What is galling to me, is how rudimentary her “expertise” in this area is after a “decade,” as claimed in the article. She can’t even do the bare minimum of PAYING an expert to write her dumb five sentence speeches so she sounds like she has substance.
Exactly! This is not a new concept–we’ve known about the importance of this time for a long time now. So Kate, what needs to be different? Where can we update existing models based on what you’ve read? Based on current world dynamics, what are educators/experts seeing that has changed from earlier generations? What supports have proven successful, other than just telling kids to go outside?
C’mon, read a few journal articles at least, go to some talks. It is so embarrassing that I likely just thought more about Early Years in the 2 minutes of writing this than she has in 10 years.
What’s frustrating for me is that there really is a need for groundbreaking research in this area, such as how to provide positive self-esteem and role models for children growing up in single parent households, without any involvement from the other parent, but she is not going to get that deep or serious.
If keen actually studied the topic and worked in the field she would have some credibility
But she always was workshy
Channel 5 news has just covered this visit and Dan Walker asked Simon Vigar why the Palace are talking up the importance of this tour for Kate? They want her to undertake major foreign tours so this is just the start of a GLOBAL comeback!! Maybe they also need to convince Will that it IS an essential part of his job to work consistently at home and abroad. Because in addition to computer says no Wilbur has been saying no a lot to foreign trips and tours.
This! William’s foreign trips consist of pretty much nothing as well! Rather than addressing the UN regarding some mental health initiative or whatever, he’s spending his time taking private jets to watch soccer games and showing how synchophantic he can be hobnobbing with autocrats. Just as he appears to be as deep as a puddle, workshy, indecipherable Katie hides behind the ever important school run and walking in the woods while her total “work” tally sits in the single digits. Neither of these two pampered poodles, who have dozens of people working for them, earn their keep! It’s galling when everyday taxpayers are barely keeping their heads above water. Sorry, end of rant.
Maybe Kate is realizing that the future of the monarchy is actually in her hands and if she wants to keep all the privilege she’s going to need to exert some effort?
Maybe Bulletproof Sunshine has laid done the reality to Kate (William listens to no one) of their situation and just how deeply unpopular they are? IDK
But it’s all weird.
Sussexwatcher, I like “the long con” for both Kate and Willie. It fits them both. They are profoundly unserious people who are play-acting in front of a world audience that knows exactly who they are.
I have a friend currently going thru treatment for testicular cancer and I hear less about his actual cancer than I do about Kate’s “precancerous cells”