In a candid new interview, Princess Eugenie has opened up about her experience with scoliosis and the uphill battle she faced after undergoing surgery as a child to treat it.
Speaking with the Sunday Telegraph, the 35-year-old revealed that she had felt “very embarrassed” ahead of the life-changing operation, and struggled with her mental health as she recovered.
“I couldn’t get out of bed or do anything for myself. I [didn’t] want anyone to see anyone and I [didn’t] want them to see me,” she told the publication, reflecting upon the four months she spent at home recuperating.
While the cause of scoliosis is unknown, symptoms often begin in children between the ages of 10 and 15. Eugenie was 12 when she finally underwent surgery to correct the curvature in her spine.
It was during this time, however, that the mother-of-two says her mother, Sarah, Duchess of York, helped her “re-train” her brain from the “deep sense of shame” she felt over her scars, to thinking they were “cool.”
“She was amazing. She’d ask if she could show it to people, then she’d turn me around and say, ‘My daughter is a superhuman, you’ve got to check out her scar,'” the King’s niece told the publication.
“All of a sudden it was a badge of honour – a cool thing I had,” she added.
This isn’t the first time Eugenie has opened up about her scoliosis surgery. To mark International Scoliosis Awareness Day in July 2024, the princess took to social media to encourage her audience to embrace their scars.
Posting a sweet childhood photo with her mother, Eugenie shared a heartwarming tribute, thanking her mother for helping her throughout her journey.
“My mum caught my scoliosis early and I was lucky enough to get the help I needed at 12 years old,” she began.
“I thank her so much for that, and also thank her for the confidence to be proud of my scar.”
“She removed all the stigma around having scoliosis for me by confidently showing people what I’d been through, and it took all the fear and anxiety out of being different at such a young age.
“I am forever grateful and wish everyone to be proud of their scars.”
Fergie commented on the post: “I am so touched by this and in awe of you. I hope this inspires young people to own their scars and life’s journey as you have so beautifully done.”
Just days before this, Princess Eugenie had shared photos from her 2018 wedding day, with her scoliosis scar on full display. “I just wanted to share my scar and encourage anyone out there who’s gone through something similar to share theirs with me,” she wrote on Instagram at the time.
“Let’s be proud of our scars! I’d love to repost any of your images on my stories, so please tag me and I will share.”
She ended the post: “To all of you who have just received the diagnosis, to those wearing braces, to those recovering from an operation, and to those who have lived with a scar for years .”
Eugenie’s message, along with her choice to keep her scar visible during her wedding to Jack Brooksbank, inspired many with similar scoliosis scars to do the same.
“Because of your courage, I showed my scar for the first time with a low back dress at a wedding. My mum cried when she saw how beautiful you looked in your dress 💚,” one commenter penned at the time.
“I cried when I saw your dress & why you chose to wear it. Thank you for being a voice to those with scoliosis. Scars are beautiful & tell a story,” a second added.
The decision was later revealed to have been at the request of the royal herself, and the Peter Piloto and Christopher de Vos design was nothing short of breathtaking.
In January 2018, Eugenie opened up about her experience with scoliosis, telling the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital that she was diagnosed at just 12 years old.
“This was, of course, a scary prospect for a 12-year-old; I can still vividly remember how nervous I felt in the days and weeks before the operation,” she wrote for the hospital.
“But my abiding memories of the RNOH, where the surgery was carried out, are happy ones – everyone there was so warm and friendly, and they went out of their way to make me feel comfortable and relaxed.”
The royal underwent an eight-hour operation, which involved doctors inserting eight-inch titanium rods into each side of her spine.
Eugenie later became a Patron of the hospital’s Redevelopment Appeal.
“Without the care I received at the RNOH, I wouldn’t look the way I do now; my back would be hunched over,” she continued. “And I wouldn’t be able to talk about scoliosis the way I now do, and help other children who come to me with the same problem.”
