The Princess of Wales received a hugely warm welcome to Reggio Emilia when she arrived on 13th May and I couldn't help noticing she did something rather interesting. Kate made time to chat to the people lining the streets outside the City Hall and did her signature move of crouching down when she met a group of excited children.
She famously likes to engage with kids at their eye-height, but this time she also popped her pastel blue Asprey London handbag directly on the ground. This is the first time we've seen the Princess wearing this, so it appears to be a new purchase.
It's such a pale blue that you'd think she'd be afraid of marking the pristine leather. Even if it was a different colour, putting your bag on the ground is often seen as something of a faux pas and yet I think Kate's decision to do it anyway says a lot about her priorities as a Princess.
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Etiquette and tradition is still important to her, as it is to the whole Royal Family, but the future Queen's passion for making genuine connections with the people she meets trumped this here. She's not one to stand at a distance, waving from afar.
Kate prefers being more personal and her clothing and accessories are to be worn and enjoyed, rather than to craft this idealised image. Her willingness to risk getting her bag dirty sends this message loud and clear and she's previously disputed that she's "perfect" in a very relatable way.
During a visit to Poland in 2017 she talked to a group of local women and one of them later remarked, "We were telling her that she is beautiful and perfect. But she said it's not true - it's just the make-up."
Once again here she seems to have made a connection with these fans and that's the most important thing to her. The Princess of Wales's kindness and dedication to really chatting to the children she meets was obvious in Italy and she's visiting Reggio Emilia precisely because of her passion for early years development.
Kate wants to learn more about the world-leading Reggio Emilia Approach, which is focused on creativity, relationships, and hands-on discovery. On Day 1 she visited the Loris Malaguzzi Centre, where children's learning is expressed through creative mediums like paint, clay and movement.
The Princess also spent time with children and teachers at Anna Frank School and on Day 2 will be focused on how nature is the "third teacher" and helps to nurture a sense of connection.
It's hardly surprising that Kate wants to nurture a sense of connection with members of the public and her work on early years development has earned her the moniker, The Children's Princess. This is a twist on her late mother-in-law's nickname of The People's Princess and Princess Diana was also someone who took a personal approach to life as a royal.
Speaking previously, former BBC Royal Correspondent Jennie Bond also described both Kate and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh as "stars", stating that their upbringings could've inspired them.
"Both she and Catherine have a common touch…perhaps because they lived 'normal' lives before marrying," Jennie reflected. "They connect with the people they meet and look as if they really want to chat. They are the new female stars of the show - elegant, engaging and empathetic."
