The princess, commonly known as Kate, will travel to Reggio Emilia in northern Italy to learn about a child-centred approach to early education, which has become a focal point for teachers around the world. The visit is part of an international ‘fact-finding mission’ called for by her office to explore different approaches to supporting young children and their carers.The choice of destination for Kate’s first trip abroad since her cancer diagnosis in 2024 is no coincidence as early years of development are a signature factor of the mother of three who will one day become Queen.“She wants to make it clear that she will continue to make it her issue,” 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 teachers need to work with their students to help them learn.The visit will highlight the idea that the environment and human relationships around children are vital to laying the foundation for a resilient and healthy future, Kensington Palace said in a statement.“The Reggio Emilia approach clearly fits the narrative of launching international operations,” Little said.The visit is part of her work with the Royal Foundation Center for Early Childhood, which she founded in 2021 to raise public understanding of the importance of supporting children in their first five years of life.One of Britain’s most popular royals, the Princess of Wales has proven adept at focusing on the matters she cares about.When Kate announced in a soft-focus, Insta-ready video that she had completed chemotherapy treatments, she stepped into territory previously uncharted by the royal family, whose members have traditionally been shy about talking about their health.However, she did it in a new way, using social media to share the fact that despite all her wealth and privilege, like many others, her life had been affected by cancer. Then, later, when she announced she was in remission, she spent the entire day supporting other cancer patients at the hospital where she was treated.In a statement on social media, she thanked everyone who helped her and her husband Prince William navigate the ups and downs of treatment and recovery. He hugged patients at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London and described their treatment as “extraordinary”.“It’s a relief to now be in remission and I’m focused on my recovery,” the princess, now 44, wrote in a note signed with her initials C. “As anyone who has experienced a cancer diagnosis will know, it takes time to adjust to a new normal.”Their new normal includes advocating for early years education, which refers to the learning and development of children from birth to the age of five.There is much to do in Britain, where advocates say there is not enough space to go around and many teachers do not 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 draws attention to an issue that really matters to children.“This connection 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.