Ever since her diagnosis at the tender age of seven, Princess Beatrice has worked hard to overcome her dyslexia. Today she has eight GCSEs, three A-levels and a history degree under her belt — none of which, she says, would have been possible without the support of the Helen Arkell Dyslexia Centre.This week, the young royal was announced as the centre's royal patron, a role Beatrice was proud to accept.
"I am greatly honoured to become Patron of The Helen Arkell Dyslexia Cantre," she said. " I have benefitted hugely from their work and I am looking forward to supporting them in giving a chance to others to benefit from their experience and teaching. "I would not have been able to achieve my academic results without the support I received from the centre." Bernadette McLean, Principle of the HADC, was clearly thrilled by Beatrice's new official role. "Princess Beatrice will be a great ambassador for the centre and a wonderful role model for all our dyslexics, young and old. Her experiences mean that she has a clear understanding how appropriate support can help dyslexics fulfill their potential."
The princess, 24, has always been open about her battle with dyslexia, in the hope she can help highlight the difficulties faced by those with the learning difficulty. Her mother, Sarah Ferguson, speak openly about her daughter's struggle with schoolwork when she revealed her diagnosis in 2005, explaining that Beatrice was receiving help with reading and writing ahead of her GCSEs.Sarah said that Beatrice was "very proud" that everyone should know of her literacy problem. "She said, 'Please tell everyone because it's very important'," she said.