Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales, touched down in Reggio Emilia on May 13, a city built on the exceptionally fertile, nutrient-rich landscape that has made Emilia-Romagna one of Italy’s great gastronomic regions. It is also the home of a different kind of nurturing: the Reggio Emilia approach, one of the world’s most influential educational philosophies, which believes that children are active participants in their own learning, and in the limitless potential in every child. This is where Kate—who launched The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood in June 2021—comes in. “The visit,” a statement from the Palace reads, “forms part of a high-level fact-finding mission to explore leading international approaches to supporting young children and those who care for them,” adding that it will serve as “a powerful starting point” as the Princess takes her mission global.
And yet the trip is significant for another reason, too: it marks Kate Middleton’s first international tour since travelling to Boston for the Earthshot Prize awards in December 2022, signaling a major ramping up in her return to full-time duties following the announcement earlier this year that she was in remission from cancer. Over 48 hours, Kate is taking part in a string of engagements—so far, she has had a meeting with key figures who helped shape the Reggio Emilia philosophy in the aftermath of the Second World War, as well as the civic leaders who continue that work today, and visited pre-schools. She will also have lunch at a rural farmhouse, where will spend time with local families and likely sample the Parmigiano Reggiano, balsamic vinegar, and Prosciutto di Parma that can, by law, only be produced in the region.
Photo: Getty Images
One might expect the Princess’s wardrobe to lean more diplomatic than “dolce vita”—the latter perhaps more in keeping with the brief stint she spent in Florence during her gap year in 2000, when she studied Renaissance art history at the British Institute. Consider the maple-leaf brooch she wore during her tour of Canada in 2011, the sky-blue jumper chosen in support of Ukraine in 2022, or, more recently, the blush-pink Dior Bar jacket she wore to greet President Macron and Brigitte Macron at the start of their state visit in 2025. Kate, never one to shun a rewear, already has a wardrobe replete with Italian designers: polka-dotted Alessandra Rich dresses, Gucci midi-skirts, and a queen(-in-waiting)’s Gianvito Rossi heels. Scroll through the gallery below to see the Princess’s sartorial take on the Reggio Emilia approach.
