Princess Kate’s upcoming return to Italy is set to be a hugely emotional full-circle moment for the royal, more than two decades after she first visited the country as a heartbroken teenager trying to move on from her first love.
The Princess of Wales is preparing for her first official overseas working trip since revealing her cancer diagnosis in 2024, with Kensington Palace confirming she will travel to Northern Italy in mid-May.
While the visit will focus on her work surrounding early childhood development, it also carries a deeply personal connection for the future queen.
Kate Middleton’s gap year in Italy
Long before she met Prince William or became part of the Royal Family, Kate spent part of her gap year studying in Florence back in 2000 at the prestigious British Institute of Florence.
According to royal biographer Katie Nicholl, the then-18-year-old arrived in Italy “nursing a broken heart” after splitting from her schoolboy boyfriend Harry Blakelock shortly before leaving the UK.
Friends who knew Kate during that time described her as calm, grounded and surprisingly mature for her age.
“She would never ever let herself get out of control,” one friend recalled, explaining that while Kate embraced student life and enjoyed the occasional glass of wine, she always knew where the line was.
Another pal revealed that despite attracting attention from plenty of Italian admirers, romance was firmly off the agenda.
“Italian men can be quite persuasive,” they told HELLO!. “But Catherine would never overreact to compliments. She definitely was not a giggly sort of girl batting her eyelashes.”
Instead, Florence became a hugely important chapter in Kate’s life as she threw herself into art history, Italian language studies and soaking up the city’s culture.
The future princess reportedly spent her days exploring Florence’s famous landmarks before socialising with classmates at the city’s Art Bar in the Santa Maria Novella district.
Kate’s royal trip to Italy
Now, 26 years later, Kate’s return to Italy couldn’t look more different.
Today, she’s one of the monarchy’s most senior and respected royals, as well as a devoted mum to Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
The Princess of Wales will travel to Reggio Emilia on May 13 and 14 for what Kensington Palace has described as a “significant next step” for her Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood, which launched in 2021.
During the trip, Kate will learn more about the internationally celebrated Reggio Emilia educational approach, which focuses on creativity, relationships and nurturing children’s emotional development.
A palace spokesperson said, “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.”
From quietly healing a broken heart in Florence to returning as the Princess of Wales, carrying out one of the most meaningful projects of her royal career, Kate’s Italian journey really has come full circle.
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