Princess Eugenie Donates Personal Art to the Hospital That Treated Her Scoliosis
Princess Eugenie decided to donate personal art to the hospital that treated her scoliosis. Here are the details of her moving donation.
Princess Eugenie’s announcement
The royal announced her participation in a new piece of artwork that will hang in the Stanmore Building at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, the place she was treated for scoliosis. The large sculpture hangs 33 feet. She shared on Instagram the artwork contains an image of her face.
The art installation is a nod to some of the causes Eugenie is passionate about. The royal is the director of art gallery Hauser & Wirth. She has been working there since 2015 and started out as an associate director.
A big surprise
Princess Eugenie, who has a degree in art history and English literature, told The Telegraph people are usually surprised she has a full-time job. “I’ve loved art since I was very little. I knew I definitely wouldn’t be a painter, but I knew this was the industry for me,” she said. In the past, Princess Eugenie’s father, Prince Andrew, told the media he would like his daughters to be “modern working young women, who happen to be members of the Royal Family,” reports the Express.
Princess Eugenie’s battle with scoliosis
Princess Eugenie was treated for scoliosis back in 2001. She shared her experience on Instagram: “My surgeons inserted 8-inch titanium rods into each side of my spine and 1.5 half-inch screws at the top of my neck,” wrote Princess Eugenie in an essay published on The Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital’s website in early 2018. “After three days in intensive care, I spent a week on a ward and six days in a wheelchair, but I was walking again after that.”
A life-changing procedure
The princess says scoliosis surgery changed her life. In her essay for the hospital, she says she’s grateful she had the surgery at a young age so she can now live a normal life:
Without the care I received at the RNOH I wouldn’t look the way I do now; my back would be hunched over. My back problems were a huge part of my life, as they would be for any 12-year-old. Children can look at me now and know that the operation works. I’m living proof of the ways in which the hospital can change people’s lives.
Raising awareness
Princess Eugenie made a point to bring awareness to scoliosis by wearing a wedding dress that was cut low in the back, so her surgery scar could be seen. The dress was made by British designers Peter Pilotto and Christopher De Vos. In an interview with ITV, Princess Eugenie said she wanted to show that scars can be beautiful. “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.”
Read more: Will Princess Eugenie’s Children Have a Royal Title?
