Princess Eugenie has spoken out about the trauma of her scoliosis diagnosis and how the scar from her life-changing operation inspired her stunning wedding dress design. Speaking to The Telegraph on Friday, the Princess described what happened at her first dress fittings, explaining: "After one or two initial meetings where I said I wanted to show my back and scar, we had a fitting and in their first attempt at the shape and design of the dress, they got me and the vision in one." She continued: "From there, we realised that the back of the dress was the centre point and a veil would take away from the scar and the beautiful design they had created."
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© Photo: Getty ImagesEugenie before her operation
Eugenie was told she would have to have life-changing surgery on her back when she was 12 years old. She had titanium added to her spine to rebuild it as a result of a curvature. Talking about the trauma before having the procedure, the 29-year-old said: "There are so many emotions and worries that go thundering through your head. Will I be able to play sports, or will I look the same, or will I miss a lot of school and be behind? I remember being angry about not being able to run and play." She also commented on her mother Sarah Ferguson's positive attitude to turning the experience into a positive one. Reflecting on when they both recently met other scoliosis sufferers, she said: "[Mum] was amazing at saying, 'Eugenie had the same operation and look at her scar and how she stands now!"
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The Princess is now a patron of the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital. She described the time she showed a young girl her scar, saying: "I remember going back to the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital and showing a little girl who couldn't sit up from her operation. Her eyes grew so big and eventually a huge smile lit up her face when she saw I had a huge scar and was standing up tall in front of her." Eugenie positively concluded: "I have loved being able to see smiles on young people's faces when I showed mine and knowing they have found some comfort in my story is pretty cool."
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