Kate Middleton to be given major honour during solo Italy trip over work for children's welfare and learning

Princess Kate will receive a major honour during her upcoming trip to Italy in recognition of her work to prioritise "children's rights". On Wednesday, the Princess of Wales will travel to the city of Reggio Emilia for two days of royal engagements to promote her early years work. The northern Italian region is famous for its pioneering work in early childhood development, and Kate will learn from leading industry experts about their world-famous approach to fostering vital development during the first years of a child’s life. To mark her visit, Mayor Marco Massari confirmed Kate will be receiving a huge honour to recognise her commitment to children's welfare and learning. Me Massari announced that the princess will receive the First Tricolore, with the award representing the municipality's highest distinction. The mayor said in a statement about the prestigious award: "I feel compelled to inform you that we have agreed with the aforementioned British representatives to present the First Tricolore to Her Royal Highness, the Princess of Wales, Catherine Middleton. "Since this is a private visit, the award will not take place during a public ceremony, but we still wanted to recognise our city's highest honour to a figure who, through the establishment of the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood, has placed children's rights at the centre of her public commitment." Kate will arrive in Italy on Wednesday, where she will be formally welcomed to Reggio Emilia by the mayor at the city’s Town Hall. Then, an official meeting with civic leaders will take place, where discussions will cover the city's history and the cultural circumstances that gave rise to its celebrated educational model. Over her two-day visit, Kate will attend three engagements at various schools, while also spending time speaking to childhood development professionals. A Kensington Palace spokesperson said Kate is excited for the trip, saying in a statement: "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.” "As the Centre for Early Childhood continues to build its work internationally, this visit is an opportunity to connect the Shaping Us Framework with leading global approaches, and to highlight a shared understanding, that it is in these early years, through the natural world and the warmth of human connection, that we begin to lay the foundations for a resilient and healthy future." The visit will be in partnership with the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood, which was founded by Kate in 2021 to raise awareness of the importance of early years experiences in shaping society over the long term, and to commission research. Royal aides said the princess has been preparing for months behind the scenes and was “very much looking forward to” the visit, which will signal a return to foreign travel after an extended period away from undertaking overseas royal tours due to her cancer diagnosis. A royal aide told The Mirror : “The Princess is feeling well and energised about making the trip to Italy. The visit reflects that she is able to begin undertaking international trips like this again, while, of course, still taking a balanced approach. “The visit marks a significant milestone for the Princess. It represents not only a return to overseas travel but an important step in taking this work onto the global stage. It also reflects how her long-standing commitment to early childhood is entering a new phase, where international learning and collaboration will play an even greater role.”