Princess Eugenie on why she chose to make powerful statement with wedding dress

All eyes were on Princess Eugenie’s wedding dress as millions around the world watched her walking down the aisle to tie the knot to long term boyfriend Jack Brooksbank in October.

The Princess was proudly making a statement she hoped would help others, showing people she had a ‘story’ and trying to release any stigma surrounding it.

Princess Eugenie’s wedding gown featured a v-shaped back which showed the scar from the life-changing spinal surgery she underwent as a child – and now she has spoken out about why she chose to tell her story to the world.

The Queen’s granddaughter, 28, wore a custom made gown by Peter Pilotto and she specifically requested a low back to show the scar.

Her gown features a neckline that folds around the shoulders to a low back that drapes into a flowing full length train, Buckingham Palace said at the time.

Two months later, in the first interview about her condition since the wedding day, Princess Eugenie told The Telegraph: "I believe scars are like memories that tell a story on your body, that remind you of how strong you had to be, and that you survived to talk about it.

"Your scars are a way of communicating, and sharing a trauma can be healing in so many ways.

"It can release that stigma you might have given to yourself and by talking about it you can show people how they can heal too."

Princess Eugenie was diagnosed with scoliosis, a condition in which a person’s spine is curved, when she was just 12 years old.

She underwent surgery at the Royal National Orthopedic Hospital (RNOH) in 2002 and had two 12 inch titanium rods placed in her back.

The procedure took eight hours, and Eugenie was in intensive care for three days afterwards.

She then spent a further week in the hospital before being discharged.

The princess made a full recovery and is not expected to need any more surgery for the condition.

In the latest interview, Princess Eugenie told how the most emotional time for her was before the operation as she was scared of the unknown and of having a condition which made her ‘different’.

She revealed how after the procedure she couldn’t move while she was in hospital.

Then the princess had to wear a neck brace for months, making her feel frustrated and angry about not being able to play.

But she trusted in doctors and parents who told her she would be OK, and she was.

As a teen, she admitted she would hide her brace and was ‘very closed’ about her scar.

But as the years went on and she grew up, she became proud of showing it and realised she could help others in doing so.

And as she had fittings for the wedding gown, she knew her dress designers had understood her vision.

Eugenie’s dress also included a number of symbols that are meaningful to her as motifs, including a thistle for Scotland acknowledging the couple’s fondness for Balmoral, a Shamrock for Ireland as a nod to the bride’s Ferguson family, and the York Rose and ivy representing the couple’s home.

Princess Eugenie is now a patron of the National Orthopaedic Hospital.

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