Princess Eugenie has said that she thinks her scoliosis scar is "really cool" as it's a "tangible" reminder of the struggles she went through with the condition, which causes the spine to curve sideways.
The Princess underwent corrective surgery at the age of 12, and previously admitted she felt shame over her scoliosis scar in childhood. But subsequent years has seen her become very open about her experience and proud to show off her scar that runs down the middle of her back.
"I think it's cool as a reminder to say 'yeah, you did that!' – it's really tangible," Princess Eugenie said in an Instagram video posted on Scoliosis Support & Research page. "You know, sometimes, these scars are really internal, really mental things that we can't explain. But wearing something on your sleeve like that is really cool, I think."
And it doesn't have to be a life-changing scar from a life-changing moment. She explained, "It's like a story of your life. I've got a scar on my hand from a dog bite but it reminds me of that holiday we went on when I was four years old - you know what I mean?"
But a scar like her scoliosis one, with so much suffering and pain behind it, has a special meaning for her. "I think the scar for me reminds me of something enormous to overcome when you're just hitting puberty, when you're going through schooling life, when you're trying to fit in," she said.
Her scar was on full show on her wedding day back in 2018, with the photo of her in her dress quickly becoming one of the most iconic royal wedding pictures ever.
"Princess Eugenie made a deliberate decision to wear a low-backed dress for her wedding," says woman&home's Royal Editor Emma Shacklock. "It was such a significant choice that helped to get rid of the taboo around scars and showed that they're nothing whatsoever to be ashamed of."
Not only are brides like Emily, the interviewer Eugenie was speaking to in the video, being inspired to follow in her footsteps and show off their scars with backless wedding gowns. But mothers of young children about to have the same surgery as Eugenie are finding their worries reduced by the Princess's bravery to put her scar in the spotlight.
"A few people since [the wedding], mainly mums of really young people who are having surgery, have said 'Oh we saw what you did and it was so cool'," she said.
The Princess went on to say she didn't realise how big of an impact it would have, but she's glad that she's inspiring people the way that others with scars have inspired her.
She explained, "I just think scars tell a story about your life. If you think about what people go through, like Paralympians, and what they do on the world stage. [And there's] The Invictus Games and all these people that have overcome absolute atrocities and wear their scars with pride, like a badge of honour. And the same goes for these operations that young people [with scoliosis] go through."
She's the first to admit that it's not as simple as deciding to embrace and love a scar, though. "It's so easy to feel ashamed and want to hide and not want to talk about it," she said. "You want to be like everyone else and people make jokes."
But, she hopes that everyone grows to love whatever marks their skin as, she said, "I personally think [scars] are all so beautiful."
