Princess Eugenie has shared photos of herself getting stuck in with the team at Horatio’s Garden – a charity that creates accessible gardens for patients at spinal injury centres across the UK.
The princess had an operation to treat scoliosis – curvature of the spine – when she was 12 years old. She underwent surgery at Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital in Middlesex, where the charity has now created a tranquil space for patients to recover.
“Since learning about this charity back in 2016, I have fallen in love with their mission to bring joy to people and help their recovery,” Eugenie wrote on Instagram.
“As a former spinal patient myself, I understand how the chance to get outside is so beneficial not only for recovery, but for staying positive at a life-changing, and often traumatic, time.”
The 29-year-old announced that she is now a patron of the charity. She shared photos of herself gardening at one of the hospital sites, signing a book and meeting patients and staff.
“I hope to learn from the patients I meet and the wonderful people working to create these gardens,” she said.
Eugenie chose to wear a low-backed dress at her wedding to Jack Brooksbank last October to show off her scoliosis scar and help boost body-confidence around scars in general.
“I think you can change the way beauty is, and you can show people your scars and I think it’s really special to stand up for that,” she said at the time.
Michelle Elman, founder of the body-positive movement Scarred not Scared, who has multiple surgery scars herself, was moved by the dress.
“It’s great she has decided to show her scars. Her scars are a part of her body and just like the rest of her body, she should never feel obligated to hide parts of it for other people,” she told HuffPost UK at the time. “It’s a brilliant example for anyone who worries about their scars or are insecure about them.”
Phyllida Swift, who has facial scarring from a car accident and is campaigns manager at the charity Changing Faces UK, also praised the Princess.
“Scars are beautiful and they’re marks that map out our lives, so to bare your marks of beauty on your wedding day, and be a positive role model for so many, is a wonderful thing,” she said.