Princess Eugenie's Open-Back Wedding Dress Meant More To Her Than We Realized

Beautiful though they may be, royal wedding dresses are generally limited by protocol. But when she tied the knot with Jack Brooksbank in October 2018, Princess Eugenie turned her back on the royal rulebook with a dress that broke tradition in two ways. The long-sleeved Peter Pilotto gown featured a deep-V shape in the back that exposed the princess' skin, and she also wore it without a veil. Both details were strategic: Rather than play by the rules, Eugenie wanted to show the world a scar she had from scoliosis surgery at age 12.

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Design-wise, the dress was a masterpiece, even without the noble intentions behind its backless silhouette. Creators Peter Pilotto and Christopher de Vos crafted it based on archive research into previous royal dresses, so it still fit the princess brief without bending to every expectation. Besides the standout backless detail, the dress had a lavish full skirt and a folded neckline, plus several embroidered botanical motifs that also carried deep meaning for the princess; there was a thistle, a shamrock, ivy, and a White Rose of York, all signifying different elements of the couple's heritage. In lieu of a veil, which would have hidden her scar, Eugenie opted for the standout Greville Emerald Kokoshnik Tiara loaned from her grandmother Elizabeth II. 

"I had always wanted a low back, part of it was showing my scar," the princess said in an audio guide that played during a 2019 exhibition at Windsor Castle, per the royal family's official website. "I believe scars tell a story about your past and your future and it's a way of getting rid of a taboo. For me it's a way of communicating with people who are going through either similar situations with scoliosis or having a scar of their own they are trying to deal with."

It makes sense that Princess Eugenie wanted to use her wedding as an opportunity to help dismantle the stigma around scars, since her own experience affected her so profoundly. In 2025, Scoliosis Support and Research shared a video call with the royal, where she delved into how the scoliosis surgery and subsequent scarring impacted her confidence. "For me it was all about the scar, and feeling different and having time out of school," Eugenie said during the call. "I remember that being the shame ... My mom took away the stigma around the scar ... and made me feel proud that I owned this sort of thing on my body that I can then use it to talk about in the future and help other young people who might be going through it."

The surgery that Eugenie underwent took eight hours, during which 8-inch titanium rods were inserted into her spine, and 1.5-inch screws were inserted into her neck. Writing for the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital Appeal, Eugenie noted that she was in intensive care and then moved to a wheelchair after the operation. Reflecting on the experience in her 2025 video chat, she revealed that she now considers scars an opportunity to "tell a story about your life" and what you've overcome. "It's so easy to feel ashamed and want to hide," she shared, adding that scars are tangible and visible rather than being hidden like mental or emotional trauma, so they are physically there to remind you that you have already achieved so much. The decision to put hers front and center during her highly publicized wedding not only reminded Eugenie of her own strength, but helped to inspire that feeling in others.

To say that fans and royal wedding watchers were inspired by Princess Eugenie's dress — one of the royal wedding dresses with the most lavish price tags — would be an understatement. The low-back design and Eugenie's exposed scar served as one of the main themes of the post-wedding discussion, and that has carried on years after the nuptials. During the 2019 exhibition at Windsor Castle, Eugenie, who's also worn some royally good wedding guest dresses, revealed that she'd received many letters from fans praising her for helping to remove scar-related stigma.

In the 2025 Scoliosis Support and Research video call, specialist spinal physiotherapist Emily Hale mentioned that she would also be wearing a backless dress that showed off her scar for her upcoming wedding, and found the confidence to do it after Eugenie made the leap. And back in 2020, Eugenie and her sister Princess Beatrice participated in a video chat held by Teenage Cancer Trust, where cancer survivor Darcy Shaw admitted that watching Eugenie walk down the aisle brought her comfort about her own scars, per ITV.

Similarly, social media has been rife with those who appreciate the meaning behind the dress, even if they don't personally have scars to show off. "My favorite royal wedding dress," one Redditor admitted. "Knowing she wanted her scoliosis scar visible so others with scoliosis would feel supported and to thank the medical providers who operated on her made it all the better." Another wrote in the same thread, "She wanted to show her scar because it's part of who she is. I thought that was very touching." All in all, this was one of the most timeless royal family wedding dresses in modern history, and the brave sentiment behind it has left its mark.