Kate’s Italy preschool visit links to George, Charlotte and Louis

Kate Middleton found herself in an environment that would likely feel very familiar to Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis during the second day of her Italy visit.

The Princess of Wales, 44, spent the morning outdoors with preschoolers at Salvador Allende preschool in Reggio Emilia on Thursday, May 14, joining children for hands-on learning activities rooted in nature and play — the kind of adventurous, outdoor-focused environment she and Prince William have long encouraged for their own kids at home.

The outing is closely aligned with the princess’ long-running focus on early childhood development and the importance of children’s environments in shaping emotional well-being and learning.

Princess Kate has undertaken similar outings before, joining an outdoor lesson in England with William in 2023 and visiting a “Forest Kindergarten” during her 2022 visit to Denmark.

In photos taken during the outing on Thursday, Kate — wearing a blazer from Blazé Milano and a bracelet from Milan-based jewelry brand Atelier Molayem — could be seen laghing and

Kate has long been a proponent of children spending more time outdoors to promote their well-being. It’s also a role she takes seriously at home, where she gets her three kids outdoors, whether rain or shine. “Even a short amount of time — 10 to 15 minutes outside — makes a huge difference to both physical well-being but also to our mental well-being,” she said in a 2019 interview on CBBC’s Blue Peter.

The Princess of Wales’ solo trip to Italy marks her first work trip overseas since announcing her cancer diagnosis in 2024. She spent much of that year out of the public eye amid her treatment and recovery, and she returned to a fuller schedule of duties after announcing she was in remission in early 2025.

Princess Kate’s two-day visit to Reggio Emilia is seen as a fact-finding mission, and she will spend time digging into their internationally recognized approach to early childhood education. Seeing it as a “significant next step” for her Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood, Kate is spending time with educators, parents, children and civic and business leaders to see the work in action, according to her office at Kensington Palace.

“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,” her spokesperson said in a statement ahead of the trip.

Her first day in Italy included a welcome from the mayor of Reggio Emilia in the town square, where hundreds of people lined up for a chance to catch a glimpse of the royal. Princess Kate was greeted with cheers of her name, signs and more — and she even spoke Italian with some of the children gathered.

The warm welcome was followed by a meeting with educators about their approach to early childhood development and a visit to Scuola Comunale d’infanzia Anna Frank, a preschool for children aged 3 to 6, to see the Reggio Emilia Approach in practice. There, she was bombarded with hugs and high fives from the young students.

Princess Kate launched The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood in 2021, bringing together research, collaboration and action to drive change in how society prioritizes the first years of a person’s life. The Shaping Us campaign, launched in January 2023, focuses on the vital impact of the first five years of life on adult development.

PEOPLE