Princess Kate received a rock star welcome during her two-day visit to Reggio Emilia, Italy—her first big overseas trip since being diagnosed with cancer in 2024. From hugging school children to tickling tiny babies, the Princess of Wales was in her element as she took on engagements related to her early childhood development projects. After seeing the incredible reception Kate received in Italy, one royal expert said the trip reminded her of Princess Diana’s star power.
Speaking to the Mirror, former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond said that the massive crowds that gathered to see Kate felt very much like the “mass hysteria” she witnessed on the royal beat in the ‘80s and ‘90s.
“Seeing the throngs who turned out to cheer Catherine in Italy gave me a sense of déjà vu from all the years I spent traveling with her late mother-in-law Diana, Princess of Wales,” Bond said.
“Some had queued for hours just to get a glimpse of Catherine; they screamed in excitement when they saw her, and teachers at a school she visited cried when she left,” Bond said. “It was the sort of near mass hysteria I witnessed pretty much wherever Diana went.”
Bond noted that she saw how crowds reacted to Diana everywhere from the United states to “France, Japan, India, Nepal and Australia.” She added, “Back then they called it Di-mania. This has already been dubbed Kate fever.”
The Princess of Wales took a gradual approach when it came to returning to royal duties, with her trip to Reggio Emilia being called a big step in her cancer recovery journey. Now that she’s crossed Italy off the list, it’s been reported by the Mirror that Kate is planning to travel to India with the Prince of Wales for the 2026 Earthshot Prize this November.
Bond said that Kate's “extraordinary glamour and youthful star quality” was missing from the Royal Family's arsenal while she was recovering, and that the success of her visit to Italy will keep people wanting more. “The PR team will not, of course, be putting any pressure on Catherine, but they must be hoping that the success of this trip to Italy is a precursor to more overseas tours, flying the flag for Britain and the British monarchy,” she said.
