Princess Eugenie reveals why she wanted her wedding dress to show her scoliosis scars: ‘It’s a way of getting rid of a taboo’
The British royal married Jack Brooksbank in October 2018
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Princess Eugenie made headlines on her wedding day for wearing a low-back gown that was specifically designed to show her scoliosis scars.
Now, the 28-year-old royal, who married her long-term partner Jack Brooksbank in October 2018, has revealed why this was so important for her, having acquired the scar after an eight hour operation in 2012 to correct the curvature in her spine.
Speaking in a special recording created for visitors to an exhibition about her wedding, which opened on Friday at Windsor Castle, Eugenie explained she had always wanted her wedding gown to have a low-back design and made a special request to designers Peter Pilotto and Christopher de Vos.
“Part of it was showing my scar and I believe scars tell a story about your past and your future, and it’s a way of getting rid of a taboo,” she said.
Eugenie went on to explain that showing off her scar was a way of speaking to those suffering from similarly debilitating physical conditions, or have scars of their own and feel compelled to cover them up.
“[After the wedding], we started getting a lot of letters from people who were happy that I had stood up and showed my scar,” she added, “and people with scoliosis, letters from girls that are going through the same thing and I definitely was very touched by everyone’s support.”
The royal wore two gowns on her wedding day, both of which are now on display at the exhibition along with the Greville Emerald Kokoshnik Tiara that she wore after it was loaned to her by the Queen.
The second gown, which Eugenie wore to the evening reception, was a long-sleeved blush pink gown designed by Zac Posen.
The silk dress featured draping detail on the bodice and a nipped-in waist.
Speaking on the recording for the exhibition, Eugenie reveals the design was inspired by Grace Kelly’s outfits in the 1955 film To Catch a Thief.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments