Princess Eugenie on What It Meant to Show Off Her Scoliosis Scar at Her Wedding

When Princess Eugenie walked down the aisle last October to marry Jack Brooksbank, she looked every bit the part of a royal bride. But as the world soon learned, her stunning Peter Pilotto dress was much more than just elegant and beautiful. Its design also made a statement by showing a scar on Eugenie's back from a scoliosis surgery she had at age 12.

Now, the royal is opening up about why that detail was so important to her, as part of an exhibit at Windsor Castle where the couple's wedding looks will be on display. “I had always wanted a low back—part of it was showing my scar, and I believe scars tell a story about your past and your future, and it’s a way of getting rid of a taboo,” she said per People. “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 that they are trying to deal with.”

The attention her dress garnered was incredibly meaningful, too. “We started getting a lot of letters from people who were happy that I had stood up and showed my scar, and people with scoliosis, letters from girls that are going through the same thing and I definitely was very touched by everyone’s support,” she says in a voiceover at the exhibit.

Eugenie was very involved in the process from the beginning of creating her long-sleeved, dipped-back gown with Pilotto and fellow designer Christopher De Vos. “It was actually the first wedding dress we ever did so it says a lot about how forward-thinking Princess Eugenie is to trust us with this very important task,” he says in the exhibit according to People. The team took inspiration from another royal wedding—that of Eugenie's grandmother Queen Elizabeth II to Prince Philip.

The queen also had a hand in another part of the wedding look: the tiara. “I’ve never worn a tiara before in my life,” Eugenie says. “It was the most incredible thing to wear such a piece of history that my grandmother had lent me, very proud moment, and the beautiful earrings were a gift from my husband.”

The exhibit opens March 1 in Windsor.

“This was the most special day of our entire lives and we’re so grateful to all the wonderful people who were able to take part and to make this day so unbelievably perfect for Jack and me and we just hope you really enjoy seeing all these beautiful parts of our wedding,” Eugenie also says.

See more: 30 Royal Wedding Dresses Throughout History