Catherine, Princess of Wales, arrived Wednesday in Italy for her first foreign trip since she underwent cancer treatment. Arriving to greet eager crowds in the city of Reggio Emilia, Princess Kate, as she's widely known, stepped back onto the world stage for the first time in years.

Catherine shocked the world when she announced her cancer diagnosis in March 2024, and she later said she had undergone six months of chemotherapy treatment.

Since then, Kate has been making a slow and carefully managed return to public life, sharing parts of her journey through select public appearances. 

But for her return to foreign travel, the princess chose northern Italy for a two-day visit focused on a cause close to her heart — early childhood development. The trip comes as The Royal Foundation Center for Early Childhood expands its operations internationally, and Kate was to explore approaches to early childhood development focused on creativity and building relationships.  

The timing of her arrival was notable. Back in London, father-in-law King Charles III, who is also undergoing cancer treatment, was carrying out one of the monarchy's grandest ceremonial duties on Wednesday, delivering a landmark speech for the formal opening of a new session of the British Parliament.

Catherine, whose husband Prince William will one day be king, described the two-day visit to Reggio Emilia as a "special trip" in an Instagram post. 

Her last official foreign tour was in 2022, when she visited Boston to attend the awards ceremony for William's Earthshot Prize.

The princess lauded local leaders' "world-leading approach to learning, encouraging children to 'live' connection," and said they had recognized "that investment in early childhood is of critical importance."

She was to meet local families, educators and community leaders who have worked on early childhood development issues in the Italian city.