Here she was seen by well-wishers as being supportive of those in need and on the side of the vulnerable. The story of her illness seemed to have connected. People believed it gave her a sense of understanding.
A woman who wished not to be named told me that she liked Catherine because the princess had not shown “fake empathy”, of the kind associated with celebrities, but “real empathy”.
A banner in the city’s square had promised Catherine “love and support”, as though she was a cause to be supported. Maybe it was a response to all Catherine’s messages of support for those in need of help.
Catherine, who seemed to be enjoying the visit, issued a statement about how much it had meant to her.
“I have had such a deeply moving and unforgettable time here,” she said. “Thank you to the people of Reggio Emilia for welcoming me into a culture of care with such warmth and generosity.”
She had pushed all the buttons, making pasta, playing with children, listening and learning for her early childhood project, trying out her gap-year Italian language skills.
There must be many reasons that Italians came out in numbers to see her – not least because she’s incredibly famous.
But this will be seen as a successful first trip back on the road, with more almost certainly in the pipeline to follow.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.bbc.co.uk ’
