Princess Kate Gets Her Hands Dirty Meeting Creatures and Critters on Her Second Day in Italy

Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis clearly prepared their mom for this moment.

Catherine, Princess of Wales visits the "Salvador Allende" Scuola dell'infanzia, during the second day of her visit to Reggio Emilia on May 14, 2026 in Reggio Emilia, Italy
(Image credit: Jordan Pettitt - Pool/Getty Images)

Princess Kate's solo visit to Reggio Emilia in Italy has seen the royal focus on a topic she holds dear—early childhood development. Following her arrival on May 13, the Princess of Wales quickly made it clear that she's "the children's princess," with a plethora of adorable, young fans turning out to meet the royal. On the second day of her European visit, Princess Kate further endeared herself to a group of schoolchildren by proving she has no fear when it comes to critters and creatures.

With three children at homePrince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis—Princess Kate is likely no stranger to getting stuck into messy activities.

For an outdoor engagement at Scuola dell'infanzia ("Salvador Allende"), the Princess of Wales was shown spending time with a group of kids as they investigated the nature around them, which included meeting some of the local wildlife.

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Catherine, Princess of Wales visits the "Salvador Allende" Scuola dell'infanzia, during the second day of her visit to Reggio Emilia on May 14, 2026 in Reggio Emilia, Italy

Princess Kate holds a small reptile in Italy.

(Image credit: Jordan Pettitt - Pool/Getty Images)

As a senior royal, Princess Kate is well-versed in attending high-profile banquets and meeting with world leaders. But she appeared just as comfortable holding a small lizard and using a magnifying glass to examine some wildlife discoveries in an outdoor setting in Italy.

Catherine, Princess of Wales visits the "Salvador Allende" Scuola dell'infanzia, during the second day of her visit to Reggio Emilia on May 14, 2026 in Reggio Emilia, Italy

Princess Kate puts the Italian wildlife under the magnifying glass.

(Image credit: Jordan Pettitt - Pool/Getty Images)

Needless to say, Princess Kate appeared to make even more Italian fans by not shying away from holding the reptiles discovered by the group.

Catherine, Princess of Wales visits the "Salvador Allende" Scuola dell'infanzia, during the second day of her visit to Reggio Emilia on May 14, 2026 in Reggio Emilia, Italy

Princess Kate makes new friends at Scuola dell'infanzia in Reggio Emilia, Italy.

(Image credit: Jordan Pettitt - Pool/Getty Images)

Of Princess Kate's solo trip to Italy, a source told People, "She's looking forward to being here, she's energized, she's enthused, she's excited to see Reggio Emilia in action and meet the people here too."

Judging by the engagements she's already conducted in the Italian city, its residents are just as excited and energized about Princess Kate's visit.

Amy Mackelden
Weekend Editor

Amy Mackelden is the weekend editor at Marie Claire, where she covers celebrity and royal family news. She was the weekend editor at Harper’s BAZAAR for three years, where she covered breaking celebrity and entertainment news, royal stories, fashion, beauty, and politics. Prior to that, she spent a year as the joint weekend editor for Marie Claire, ELLE, and Harper's BAZAAR, and two years as an entertainment writer at Bustle. Her additional bylines include Cosmopolitan, People, The Independent, HelloGiggles, Biography, Shondaland, Best Products, New Statesman, Heat, and The Guardian. Her work has been syndicated by publications including Town & Country, Good Housekeeping, Esquire, Delish, Oprah Daily, Country Living, and Women's Health. Her celebrity interviews include Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Chastain, the cast of Selling Sunset, Emma Thompson, Jessica Alba, and Penn Badgley. In 2015, she delivered an academic paper at Kimposium, the world's first Kardashian conference.