Princess Eugenie opens up about childhood back surgery
In an interview with the Sunday Telegraph, the King's niece opened up about her surgery, saying that she felt "very embarrassed" ahead of the operation and later struggled with the emotional impact of post-surgery care.
Surgeons inserted titanium rods into her spine to correct a curvature caused by scoliosis when she was 12 years old and she spent 10 days on her back after the operation.
She said that her mother, the Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson, helped her see the post-surgery scar on her back as a "badge of honour".
Scoliosis is a condition where the spine twists and curves to the side. The cause of it is often unknown, and commonly starts in children aged between 10 and 15, according to the NHS.
Eugenie was treated at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, in north London, and it was four months before she was able to return to school after it.
"I had a corner room in the hospital with two windows looking out over a car park," the 35-year-old said. "I was too young to notice I couldn't get outside; all I cared about was where my parents and sister were.
"But I do remember watching someone waving to my incredible red-haired nurse through the window and having this feeling that I couldn't reach them," she said.
"I couldn't get out of bed or do anything for myself."
Speaking about how she felt ahead of the operation, she said she felt "very embarrassed about the whole thing".
"I remember being woken up really early before my surgery – I pulled my blanket over my head. I said: 'I don't want to see anyone and I don't want them to see me'," she said.
The operation left a visible scar on her back and she said her mother helped to "train" her brain to think that "scars are cool".
"She was amazing. She'd ask me if she could show it to people, then she'd turn me around and say, 'my daughter is superhuman, you've got to check our her scar'," Eugenie said.
"All of sudden it was a badge of honour – a cool thing I had," she added.
"It became a positive memory, a part of me, that I could do something with in the future. I could help heal other people."
The princess's wedding dress in 2018 showed the scar at the top of her back and ahead of the wedding, she spoke of the importance of showing "people your scars".
Speaking to ITV's This Morning at the time, she described it as a "lovely way to honour the people who looked after me and a way of standing up for young people who also go through this".
"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 added.
Sign up here to get the latest royal stories and analysis every week with our Royal Watch newsletter. Those outside the UK can sign up here.
'I wanted wedding dress to show my scar'
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


CBS News
3 hours ago
- CBS News
Weiss Memorial Hospital's access to Medicare payments revoked, IDPH announced
The future of Weiss Memorial Hospital in Uptown is uncertain after the federal Department of Health and Human Services announced that it is revoking the facility's ability to receive Medicare payments. Starting on Aug. 9, Medicare won't pay Weiss for inpatient services. The move could be devastating for the safety-net hospital, which the Sun-Times reported received over half of its 2023 revenue from the program. While the notice didn't elaborate on why it deemed Weiss not "compliant" with its guidelines, the hospital's air-conditioning system failed last month, forcing dozens of patients to be transferred to its sister institution, West Suburban Hospital in Oak Park. Since then, Weiss has rendered only limited services to patients while it awaits spare parts to fix the air conditioning. In a statement, a spokesperson for the Illinois Department of Public Health said: "The Illinois Department of Public Health has been closely monitoring the situation at Weiss Memorial Hospital. As required by law, the results of our surveys of the hospital are shared with the federal Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). CMS holds the authority to and made the decision to terminate Weiss's involvement with the Medicare program effective August 9, 2025. There is a process for reconsideration that Weiss can pursue. IDPH is committed to ensuring patient safety and quality of care at healthcare facilities in Illinois and will engage with Weiss as appropriate."
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Sir David Nabarro, WHO's special envoy for Covid-19, dies aged 75
Sir David Nabarro, who was the World Health Organisation's (WHO) special envoy for Covid-19, has died aged 75. The WHO's director-general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said he was 'deeply shocked and saddened by the passing' of Sir David. London-born Sir David worked at the United Nations for 17 years, expanding nutrition programmes to underdeveloped countries and tackling health crises including outbreaks of malaria, bird flu and Ebola, before leaving in 2017. He was appointed as special envoy on Covid-19 for the WHO in 2020 and appeared on news programmes regularly throughout the pandemic, telling Sky News in June 2021 that humanity was going to have to learn how to 'co-exist' with Covid-19. Sir David was knighted at Buckingham Palace in March 2023 for his outstanding contribution to global health. Dr Tedros wrote on X: 'Deeply shocked and saddened by the passing of our dear friend, colleague and WHO Envoy David Nabarro. 'David was a great champion of global health and health equity, and a wise, generous mentor to countless individuals. 'His work touched and impacted so many lives across the world. 'On behalf of WHO, I'm extending our heartfelt condolences to David's family, friends and colleagues. 'Rest in peace, my dear friend. We will dearly miss your expertise, wisdom and kindness.'
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Major Health Insurers Slash Prior Authorization Requirements, Transforming the PA Technology Landscape
Black Book Research identifies Cohere Health, Innovaccer, and Waystar among leading vendors rapidly adapting to new industry rules. NEW YORK CITY, NY / / July 26, 2025 / U.S. healthcare is undergoing a pivotal shift as major insurers-led by UnitedHealthcare and Humana-begin to significantly reduce or eliminate prior authorization (PA) requirements for hundreds of routine procedures. Accelerated by federal policy, provider frustration, and consumer demands for timely access to care, these sweeping changes signal a new era in PA technology and operations, according to a July 2025 flash survey conducted by Black Book Research. Industry Drivers: Regulatory Action Meets Provider and Consumer Pressure Insurers covering over 250 million Americans have committed to streamlining or removing PA burdens by the end of 2026. This is partly driven by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), which is launching a pilot program in six states in January 2026 requiring faster, more transparent prior authorizations for select Medicare services. CMS has also announced national response time standards for Medicare Advantage plans, further intensifying the need for automation and interoperability in PA processes. Key Survey Insights from the Field Black Book Research's flash survey compiled viewpoints from: 24 IT leaders representing the top 10 PA vendors; 108 managed care and health plan IT and operational decision-makers; 142 healthcare providers and administrative leaders; and 100 healthcare consumers with recent PA experiences. Notable Findings: 84% of managed care executives support reducing PA requirements 96% of healthcare providers report improved workflows and lower administrative burdens 99% of consumers favor eliminating PA for routine care; 83% say they've experienced harmful care delays 67% of health plans expect to reevaluate or end contracts with existing PA vendors by 2026 Additional Observations: 90% of providers foresee broad adoption of interoperable PA tools by 2027 94% of payers plan substantial investment in AI-based PA platforms 100% of consumers prefer providers with automated and transparent PA processes 96% of PA vendor executives acknowledge their current solutions require modernization within two years __________ Vendors Rapidly Adapting and Leading the Innovation Curve: Client Top KPI Scores Black Book highlights the top-performing vendors already making critical advancements to align with industry shifts: Cohere Health - Excels in AI-based automation, payer-provider integration, and CMS-aligned interoperability Innovaccer - Offers strong EHR integration and regulatory compliance dashboards for PA workflows Waystar - Enhancing its Auth Accelerate platform for real-time eligibility checks and exception handling ScribeRunner - Developing dynamic auto-approval rulesets and real-time tracking modules CoverMyMeds - Expanding AI-powered real-time authorizations for both pharmacy and medical benefits Change Healthcare - Transitioning legacy infrastructure with modular FHIR APIs for automated decision-making Availity - Driving advanced API adoption and digital submission channels PriorAuthNow (Rhyme) - Connecting providers and payers through real-time electronic submission with limited manual effort Black Book's Q1-Q2 client satisfaction rankings show these vendors excelled across 18 qualitative KPIs for PA technology. Cohere Health earned the highest overall honors, with MCG Health, eviCore Healthcare, Agadia, Infinx, and Availity also receiving good marks. Onyx led in FHIR-based PA platform innovation. Detailed competitive intelligence reports are available in the Black Book research store. __________ Vendors Facing Existential Threats in the New Era Not all companies are poised for success. Several previously top-rated PA vendors now face considerable risk due to outdated systems and slow adaptability: eviCore Healthcare - Still dependent on manual review processes, with limited AI capabilities HealthHelp (WNS) - Lagging behind in interoperability and modern payer integration PriorAuthNow (Rhyme) - Despite innovation efforts, struggles with scalable real-time API integration threaten its long-term viability _________ Looking Ahead: A Positive Outlook for Adaptive Vendors While legacy vendors must evolve rapidly or risk market exit, the broader outlook for PA tech is optimistic. Companies investing in automated, intelligent, and interoperable systems are well-positioned to thrive. "The future of prior authorization is transparent, automated, and fully integrated into clinical workflows," said Doug Brown, Founder of Black Book Research. "Vendors delivering real-time, AI-powered solutions will define the next generation of care access efficiency for providers, payers, and patients alike." About Black Book Research Black Book Research is a leading healthcare IT research firm known for its independent, vendor-agnostic approach. Over the past 15 years, Black Book has collected over 3 million survey responses from nearly 500,000 healthcare professionals. The firm's flash surveys and long-form evaluations provide real-time, unbiased insights that support strategic decision-making across the healthcare ecosystem. Visit or contact research@ for full survey results and vendor-specific performance details. Contact Information Press Office research@ SOURCE: Black Book Research View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data