Princess Eugenie is the younger daughter of Prince Andrew and Sarah, Duchess of York.
Her full title is Her Royal Highness Princess Eugenie of York, and she is 12th in line to the throne.
As with her sister, Princess Eugenie suffered with a debilitating health condition in her younger years, which still impacts her today.
The Queen's granddaughter was diagnosed with scoliosis, a condition that required intense surgery when she was 12 to help correct her curved spine.
Scoliosis still affects the minor royal today, despite having to undergo a complicated operation on her spine.
The condition also raised concerns during her labour with son August Philip Hawke Brooksbank.
Eugenie, now 32, needed a C-section to get him out due to her medical condition and the surgery she'd previously gone through.
Explaining the harrowing procedure, Princess Eugenie wrote in an essay published on the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital (RNOH) website last year.
She said: “My surgeons inserted eight-inch titanium rods into each side of my spine and 1.5-half inch screws at the top of my neck.
"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."
What condition does Princess Eugenie have?
Fortunately for Eugenie the procedure was a success, and she was able to recover quickly.
She even showed off her back scar at her wedding to Jack Brooksbank in an open-back gown.
However, people who require a corrective rod to straighten their spine for severe scoliosis may encounter some complications during childbirth.
The lead up to her birth was riddled with concern for the princess.
In some cases, the location of the titanium rods means that doctors are unable to give an epidural, as the rods may block the needle from being inserted in the lumbar spine, below the chest and above the sacrum, in between two vertebrae.
It required careful planning when it came to labour and the delivery, but fortunately hers was a success.
What is scoliosis?
Scoliosis is where the spine twists and curves to the side.
“It can affect people of any age, from babies to adults, but most often starts in children aged 10 to 15,” explains the NHS.
It added: “Scoliosis can improve with treatment, but it is not usually a sign of anything serious and treatment is not always needed if it's mild."
Often scoliosis has no known cause, in which case it is called idiopathic scoliosis, said Spine Health.
The site continued: “While the cause is unknown, idiopathic scoliosis does tend to run in families.
“The specific genes involved have not all been identified yet, and there could be factors beyond genetics as well.
“Some people mistakenly think that carrying heavy backpacks or sleeping on the side could cause scoliosis, but that is not the case.
“About three percent of the population is estimated to have idiopathic scoliosis.”
Scoliosis symptoms to spot
According to the national health body, symptoms of scoliosis can include:
- A visibly curved spine
- Leaning to one side
- Uneven shoulders
- One shoulder or hip sticking out
- The ribs sticking out on one side
- Clothes not fitting well.
