Princess Kate drew a strong public response on Wednesday in Reggio Emilia, where the 44 year old Princess of Wales began a solo overseas visit focused on her Early Years work.
Officially, the visit was about policy rather than spectacle. Kensington Palace framed the trip as part of Kate's long running work on early childhood development, a cause that has become central to her public role. But the images that emerged from Italy quickly shifted attention to something more immediate: the scale of the crowd reaction and the renewed comparisons with Meghan Markle's recent visit to Australia.
