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The Princess of Wales is said to be "feeling well and energised" as she prepares for her first solo royal visit overseas for the first time since her cancer diagnosis, royal aides have claimed. The princess, who revealed she was in remission at the start of last year, will head to Italy next week on a solo working trip with The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood.

It is a major milestone for the future queen and is her first extended official foreign trip in nearly three-and-a-half years. Aides to the princess previously shared that she was "very much looking forward" to returning to international travel and said the visit was an important moment in the expansion of the Centre for Early Childhood's work on a global stage.

Catherine will travel to Reggio Emilia, a region considered a world leader in early years education, a subject the future Queen is hugely passionate about.

While there, she will learn more about the Reggio Emilia Approach, an educational philosophy that emphasises children's potential for self-development.

New reports claim royal aides said Catherine has been preparing for her working visit for months.

A source told the Mirror: "The Princess is feeling well and energised about making the trip to Italy. The visit reflects that she is able to begin undertaking international trips like this again, while, of course, still taking a balanced approach."

They added that the visit marks a "significant milestone" for the princess as it represents not just her return to overseas travel but an "important step" in taking this work onto the global stage.

They said: "It also reflects how her long-standing commitment to early childhood is entering a new phase, where international learning and collaboration will play an even greater role."

Next week's visit has been described as "deeply personal" for the future Queen, as early years is her passion project.

They said: "She has consistently focused on early childhood because she believes it is where we can make the greatest difference to society in the long term."

Earlier this week, Catherine launched The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood's new resource for people working with babies, young children and their families.

Foundations for Life: A Guide to Social and Emotional Development is designed to strengthen understanding across the early years system of why social and emotional development matters so profoundly, and how these skills begin to take shape from the very earliest months of life.