Princess Eugenie is one thankful daughter.
The 34-year-old took to Instagram on Saturday, June 29 to express gratitude for her mother, Sarah Ferguson, catching her scoliosis in the beginning stages.
“My mum caught my scoliosis early and I was lucky enough to get the help I needed at 12 years old. I thank her so much for that and also thank her for the confidence to be proud of my scar,” Princess Eugenie wrote. “She removed all the stigma around having scoliosis for me by confidently showing people what I’d been through and it took all the fear and anxiety out of being different at such a young age.”
“I am forever grateful and wish everyone to be proud of their scars,” she added.
Scoliosis occurs when there is an abnormal sideways curvature of the spine, according to Mayo Clinic.
The post was accompanied by a throwback photo of the mother-daughter duo stepping out of a vehicle. Her mother looked timeless in a navy outfit with her auburn hair pulled back as she held the hand of the toddler-aged princess, who wore a green and white checkered dress with a matching solid-green sweater.
Ferguson, who was tagged in the post alongside a nonprofit called Scoliosis Support & Research, showed just as much admiration for her daughter leaving a heartwarming comment under the post.
“I am so touched by this and in awe of you,” the Duchess of York wrote. “I hope this inspires young people to own their scars and life’s journey as you have so beautifully done.”
This isn’t the first post Princess Eugenie has made addressing her scoliosis. She’s made several during the month of June as it is National Scoliosis Awareness Month, which “highlights the growing need for education, early detection and awareness about scoliosis and its prevalence,” as described by Scoliosis Research Society.
On June 26, International Scoliosis Awareness Day, the royal shared photos of herself from her wedding day. When she said “I do” to husband Jack Brooksbank in 2018, she wore a Christopher De Vos and Peter Pilotto designer gown, which featured a deep-V in the back, making her scoliosis scar visible.
“Today is International Scoliosis Awareness Day. I just wanted to share my scar and encourage anyone out there who’s gone through something similar to share theirs with me
Let’s be proud of our scars!” she shared, telling her followers to share and tag her in their posts.
“To all of you who have just received the diagnosis, to those wearing braces, to those recovering from an operation and for those who have lived with a scar for years – My thoughts are with you on Scoliosis Awareness Day,” the British royal concluded. “Thank you to the doctors, nurses, physiotherapists and researchers at @scoliosis_sr.”