The Princess of Wales will step back on to the international stage on Wednesday, with a trip to the Italian city of Reggio Emilia, in a personal landmark in her recovery from cancer.
"Undoubtedly this is a huge moment for the princess. There will be many highlights of 2026, but this being her first official international visit post her recovery, this is a really significant moment for her," said an aide to the princess.
It is more than three years since Catherine's last official visit overseas - and the focus of her return trip is her early years education campaign.
She wants this now to be a "global mission" and the city was chosen because of its distinctive approach to early years learning.
Her trip to the Italian city could be the first in a series of international trips to places which have developed their own approaches to helping children in their early years.
