21 unseen royal photos of Kate Middleton's solo Italy tour – showing the Princess in a whole new light

It has been quite the week for Princess Catherine, who has just wrapped up her first solo tour since sharing that she is in recovery from cancer, by taking a trip to Northern Italy (or more specifically, Reggio Emilia). The city is known for its innovative, child-centred work, making it the ideal location for the Princess of Wales to visit, given all her work around the importance of early childhood.

Kate has been passionately vocal about how those first early years of a person's life can have a huge implication on the way the rest of their lives develop, and is keen to raise awareness of how parents and carers can give under-5s the best possible start.

As for what she got up to on her Italian tour: upon arriving in Reggio Emilia, Kate visited the Piazza Camillo Prampolini, the city's Town Hall and home to the mayor’s office. Outside, she met with waves of adorable kids and families who gathered to see her.

Catherine looked incredible for the occasion in a powder-blue suit by Canadian-British designer Edeline Lee, and a sky-blue Asprey London bag.

And on day two, the Princess popped by Remida, il Centro di Riciclaggio Creativo (“a cultural project focused on sustainability, creativity, and research on waste industrial materials”) to understand how the city’s industries support young children’s development.

She also made time to visit the Salvador Allende Scuola dell’infanzia, a renowned public nursery and preschool, to get a feel for the respected institution’s education-in-nature approach.

A lunch at the rural farm stay Agriturismo Al Vigneto in Felino (for which Kate even helped prepare some tortelli – yum!) concluded her visit.

For her last day in the region, Kate chose a lovely, muted ensemble composed of a white top, pleated cream skirt, tan striped blazer, and beige-and-black cap-toe slingbacks.

It may have been a short trip, but it was a big step for Kate, as it marked her first overseas royal visit since her cancer scare.

See all the best photos from Kate’s royal visit to Italy right here: