Princess Eugenie has bravely shared an intimate moment in her life which left her “ashamed”, and needing the unwavering support of her mother, Sarah, Duchess of York. The Princess revealed her life journey on Cressida Bonas’s podcast titled, ‘Lessons from our mothers’.
Princess Eugenie said: “I had scoliosis when I was younger. I had a big operation when I was 12. My mum basically moved into the hospital with me and was there every waking hour.”
The mother-of-two explained how Sarah Ferguson remained constantly by her side during difficult moments.
She further added: “She used to be so proud of me and my scar and what I’d been through.”
Told she would need corrective surgery, the eight-hour procedure involved a surgeon placing eight-inch titanium rods into each side of her spine. At the top of her neck, the surgeon placed one-and-a-half inch screws to help straighten her spinal alignment.
The Princess revealed that as a young girl, she felt “terrified” and “ashamed” of her scar, but it was her mum who helped her overcome her feelings and proudly overcome her scar.
Eugenie added: “It led to me feeling so confident, that on my wedding day, I wore a dress that showed my scar to the world because I was like ‘this is the coolest thing ever’. My mum had retrained my brain with her behaviour.”
Scoliosis is a condition where the spine curves often in an S or a C shape and is most often diagnosed in childhood or early adolescence, according to health websites. Some people who have scoliosis will develop back pain later on in life.
During the podcast, hosted by Prince Harry’s ex-girlfriend, Princess Beatrice joined her sister as they shared intimate childhood memories. The siblings opened up about family dynamics and maternal influence.
The host said: “If she did that around something physical like your scar. She has probably done that countless times as you guys have grown up.”
Eugenie joked: “I think we’d have to probably do 10 of these recordings to get into more and more of what the many different things she’s done for us are. She’s always kept us so grounded.”
She added: “Beatrice and I, from when we were little have always gone with mum on all her charity work, and that is so integral to her as a human.”
Sarah Ferguson has often shared such pride in her daughters. Attending an event in New York City, she spoke to Hello! magazine about her relationship. The Duchess of York told the magazine: “We are a tripod of women.”
She added: “I am very proud of them and they are very proud of me.”