'Last time Kate Middleton was in Italy she was nursing a broken heart': Inside Princess Kate's 'formative' Florence holiday
Kate Middleton will be travelling to Italy later this month for her first overseas engagement since 2022
Kate Middleton’s upcoming trip to Italy is set to mark a deeply emotional full-circle moment for the royal, more than two decades after she first visited the country as a heartbroken teenager searching for a fresh start.
The Princess of Wales is preparing for her first official overseas working visit since revealing her cancer diagnosis in 2024.
Kensington Palace has confirmed she will travel to Northern Italy in mid-May.
The visit will centre around her work on early childhood development. However, it also carries personal significance.
Kate Middleton’s gap year in Italy
Kate spent part of her gap year studying in Florence in 2000 at the British Institute of Florence.
According to royal biographer Katie Nicholl, the then-18-year-old arrived in Italy “nursing a broken heart” following her split from high school boyfriend Harry Blakelock shortly before leaving the UK.
Friends who knew Kate during that time described the future royal as quietly confident, mature and determined not to let heartbreak define her experience abroad.
“She would never ever let herself get out of control,” one friend recalled, as reported by HELLO!. They explained that while Kate enjoyed student life and the occasional glass of wine, she always knew her limits.
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Another friend revealed that despite plenty of attention from Italian admirers, romance was the last thing on her mind.
“Italian men can be quite persuasive. But Catherine would never overreact to compliments,” they said. “She definitely was not a giggly sort of girl batting her eyelashes.”
Florence became a hugely formative chapter in Kate’s life. She immersed herself in art history, language studies and Italian culture.
Kate reportedly spent time exploring the city’s famous landmarks and socialising with fellow students at Florence’s Art Bar in the Santa Maria Novella district.
Kate’s royal trip to Italy
Now, 26 years later, her return to Italy couldn’t look more different.
Today, Kate is a senior working royal, devoted mother to Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, and one of the monarchy’s most influential figures.
The princess will travel to Reggio Emilia on May 13 and 14 to focus on her long-running passion project surrounding children’s emotional and cognitive development.
Kensington Palace described the visit as a “significant next step” for Kate’s Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood, which she launched in 2021.
A 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, Kate’s Italian journey has come full circle.
Read more: Kate Middleton pays special tribute to her children with necklace
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