Catherine, Princess Of Wales, draws crowds in Italy on 2025 trip
Catherine, Princess of Wales, drew large crowds in Italy this week on her first overseas trip since her cancer diagnosis and treatment. On Thursday morning in Reggio Emilia, children chanted "Principessa, principessa" as she arrived by car to visit a project that recycles materials and products for education.
Her visit centered on Reggio Emilia's approach to teaching young children, giving her a public role beyond ceremony. A crowd of more than a thousand people had already turned out on Wednesday for a walkabout in the town square, a level of attention that made the trip a display of her pull with Italian crowds as much as a working visit.
Reggio Emilia crowds gather
On a dusty side street on the outskirts of Reggio Emilia, people lined up behind barriers before Catherine stepped out of a big black BMW, smiled and waved at greeters, and moved into the visit. About an hour later, she came back out to louder applause and waved again before leaving for the next stage of her trip.
The crowd included Maria Theresa, who travelled from Rome to see her. Maria Theresa said Catherine's sense of empathy with other people made her want to see her in person. "Italians like her. We're people of emotions," she said, adding that Catherine was "close to the people" and a "humanitarian."
Italy trip follows treatment
The Italy visit was described as her first overseas trip since her cancer diagnosis and treatment, making the stop in Reggio Emilia the most visible part of her return to foreign travel. Her team called the Reggio Emilia visit a comeback tour and a huge moment.
The setting also showed the practical side of the trip: Catherine was not only appearing before crowds, but also gathering information about how Reggio Emilia organizes early years education. That left the visit with two clear audiences, the people waiting behind the barriers and the educational project she came to study.
Town square attention in Reggio Emilia
Wednesday's walkabout in the town square, where more than a thousand people gathered, set the tone for the rest of the trip. The crowds in Reggio Emilia answered the same question in public view: whether Catherine's appeal would carry as strongly on an overseas visit after her illness as it has at home.
For readers tracking the trip, the immediate takeaway is that the visit has already drawn the attention it was meant to draw, and Catherine has moved through Reggio Emilia in direct contact with the public. Her team has framed the tour as a major moment, and the Italian stop will remain tied to that reaction as she continues the trip.
