BRIDE'S HURT REVISTED
Princess Eugenie to show life-changing back op scars at her wedding to honour NHS and help sufferers
PRINCESS Eugenie will wear her childhood surgery scars with pride as she marries Jack Brooksbank in a lavish ceremony today.
The royal, 28, has hinted that her gown will not hide signs of a spinal op aged 12.
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Eugenie has also invited her NHS surgeons to the Windsor ceremony. She said: “You can show people your scars and it’s really special.”
The royal, 28, had major surgery to correct a curvature of her spine when she was a child.
Proud Eugenie said: “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. The Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, the RNOH, is a huge charity — I’m patron of their appeal and I had an operation when I was 12 on my back, and you’ll see.
“But it’s 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.”
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WATCH LIVE: Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank's Royal Wedding in St George's Chapel, Windsor
The Queen’s grand-daughter was diagnosed with scoliosis, a condition where the spine twists and curves to the side, and had steel rods inserted in her back during corrective surgery in 2002.
Queen Elizabeth and members of the Royal Family, including the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, are expected to attend along with a handful of celebrities such as Cindy Crawford, James Blunt and Ellie Goulding.
Her surgeon Jan Lehovsky and other RNOH staff will be among 800 guests watching her tie the knot in St George’s Chapel — where Prince Harry and Meghan got married in May.
After the wedding in Windsor Castle chapel the Queen will host an afternoon reception in St George’s Hall before the celebrations continue – probably into the early hours – at the Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park.
A fairground has been erected, complete with a Ferris wheel, dodgems and a coconut shy.
Eugenie, whose scars are expected to be very faint under her dress’s train, has also invited scoliosis sufferer Julia Carlisle, 15, from dance group MerseyGirls, after seeing her perform on Britain’s Got Talent.
The second royal wedding of the year will be screened in full on ITV during This Morning At The Royal Wedding live from Windsor, hosted by Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford.
THE BIG DAY: Here’s your guide to what’s happening when and who to look out for
9am – the day starts with wedding guests starting to arrive
10.25am – Members of the royal family are expected to arrive at the Galilee Porch, received by The Right Reverend David Conner, the Dean of Windsor
10.30am – Jack Brooksbank’s parents arrive
10.32am - Sarah, Duchess of York and Princess Beatrice arrive at the West Door
10.35am – Groom and his best man, Thomas Brooksbank arrive at the West Door
10.50am – Prince of Wales arrives at the Galilee Porch
10.52am – The Queen arrives at the Galilee Porch and is received by the Dean of Windsor – a fanfare is sounded
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Speaking to them before their big day, Eugenie and Jack revealed it was “love at first sight” when they first met while skiing in Verbier, Switzerland.
Eugenie giggled as she told Jack: “I thought, ‘What a silly hat!’ and I thought, ‘Who’s that?’ and then you came over and shook my hand and I was all butterflies.
“I think I rang my mum that night and said, ‘I’ve met this guy Jack’ and that was it. I remember being like, ‘I really, really like this guy.
“I really want him to like me too,’ and then you gave me this huge windscreen-wiper wave and that was it — ‘Right, he likes me’.”
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Asked to describe Eugenie in three words, Jack — who is an ambassador for George Clooney’s tequila brand Casamigos — said: “She’s this bright, shining light.”
Eugenie then gushed: “Jack’s the kind of guy, you know when you’re lost at a party and you can’t find anyone to talk to, and you start panicking?
“He’ll walk in and make everyone feel so special.
“He’ll scoop you up and talk to you and make you feel a million dollars.”
She described her husband to be as "so humble and generous".
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The well-wishers are already arriving in Windsor ahead of the Royal wedding
The couple also revealed that their siblings are good friends. Princess Beatrice, 30, will be maid of honour and Tom Brooksbank, 30, is brother Jack’s best man.
Eugenie said of Bea: “She’s my big sissy — I’ve looked up to her my whole life.
“I’ve wanted to be her at times — we’ve fought over Converse trainers and who gets what, and you know, we’re best friends and I can’t think of anyone I’d want by my side more.”
Eugenie and Jack, who were seen leaving Windsor Castle yesterday, told This Morning they haven’t practised their first dance. And they joked they will sing at tonight’s reception hosted by Eugenie’s dad Prince Andrew at his Royal Lodge home.
THE SERVICE: From the bride's arrival to the reception
Choir and clergy procession – Peter Roper-Curzon will play Johann Sebastian Bach’s Allegro form Organ Sonata No 1 and Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Rhosymedre
Princess Eugenie will arrive to Fanfare, Adventus and will be led to the Organ Screen by her father, Prince Andrew
The Dean of Windsor will give the introduction
Hymn – John Newton’s Glorious Things of Thee are Spoken
The Marriage - neither Eugenie or Jack will offer to obey. Only Eugenie will wear a wedding band
Andrea Bocelli will perform Ave Maria with an orchestra conducted by Carlo Bernini
The First Reading – Charles Brooksbank will read from St Paul’s Letter to the Colossians, chapter 3 verses 12-16
The Second Reading – Princess Beatrice read from F Scott Fitzgerald’ The Great Gatsby
Andrea Bocelli performs Panis Angelicas
The address will be given by The Dean of Windsor The Right Reverend David Conner
Hymn – Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise by W Chalmers Smith
Prayers led by the Archbishop of York John Sentamu
The anthem – a Gaelic Blessing sung by the choir
The blessing
Hymn – Charles Wesley’s Love Divine, All Loves Excelling
The Signing of the Registers – the choir sings Ubi Caritas
National Anthem
The bridge, groom and immediate family leave the chapel by the West Door
The newly married couple are then expected to have a carriage procession.
They are due to leave from the Royal Mews out of the castle, go along part of the High Street before returning via Cambridge Gate.
The Queen then holds an afternoon reception at the castle.
The evening party is at Prince Andrew’s home in Windsor, The Royal Lodge which is three miles away from the castle.
Celebrations are expected to go on until the early hours.
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Her mum Sarah Ferguson is also expected to play a big role. The wedding itself, which starts at 11am, will be attended by all the senior royals except for Camilla, who is visiting a school.
Celeb guests include singer Robbie Williams and his wife and fellow X Factor judge Ayda Field. Their six-year-old daughter Teddy is a bridesmaid, alongside Princess Charlotte and Zara and Mike Tindall’s daughter Mia.
Prince George, five, will be joined by fellow page boy Louis de Givenchy — the six-year-old son of JP Morgan banking exec Olivier de Givenchy and his wife Zoe.
Also expected are George and Amal Clooney, David and Victoria Beckham, singer Ellie Goulding and supermodel Cindy Crawford.
But the couple have faced criticism that the wedding will cost almost £2million due to increased fears of a terror attack.
The wedding was initially expected to cost around £750,000 - be be paid for by the couple's parents, but the extra funding has since come from the taxpayer.
The extra money will draft in officers on overtime rates, with some cancelling their holidays to be on guard.
Dozens of officers will also be required to search the open-top carriage procession route in advance and there will be a blanket ban on drones flying over the event too.
SUN’S KATIE INSPIRED
SUN picture researcher Katie Edwards had a scoliosis operation like Eugenie at 12.
The big-hearted Princess met the youngster, left, before her surgery in 2013 to reassure her and share her experiences.
Katie, now 19, said: “I’m not surprised that Eugenie is proudly bearing her scar on her wedding day.
“When we met, the first thing she did was unzip her dress and show me her scar. She said, ‘After your operation, wear your scar with pride. Every scar tells a story. I have a scar on my hand too, that’s where one of granny’s dogs bit me’.”
Katie added: “Meeting Eugenie and seeing her attitude had a huge impact on me. It gave me the courage I needed to go through with the op.
“I had been terrified before, but meeting Eugenie made me think, if someone like her can do it, so can I.
“My grandad, The Sun’s royal photographer Arthur Edwards, had asked the Princess to meet me, and she didn’t hesitate.
“When we said goodbye she gave me her phone number and email and kept in touch.
“And when I arrived for my surgery I was stunned to find she had sent balloons, flowers and chocolates to my room.
“Luckily it was a big success and she was right, I was much happier and not in pain.
“I know her decision to bear her scar on the biggest day of her life will inspire thousands of other young people living with scars.”
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When is Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank’s wedding, who is invited and where will they get married?
ROYAL WEDDING LATEST
Italian superstar Andrea Bocelli will be singing two pieces during the ceremony. He told The Sun: “I’m not nervous, I’m very calm and relaxed, because it’s not me getting married.”
The order of service shows that Jack’s middle name is Stamp and he will not wear a wedding ring. And Eugenie will not be vowing to “obey” her new husband.
Buckingham Palace said: “Princess Eugenie and Mr Brooksbank have taken great care in bringing together the content of their service.”
Charles in Scot jaunt
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PRINCE Charles will miss Eugenie’s evening reception for a shooting party with wife Camilla.
The Prince of Wales will fly straight back to Scotland after today’s wedding in Windsor.
Camilla, 71, is missing it all as she has a school visit near their home in Birkhall.
A source said: “There is no calculated snub. The Duchess wrote to Eugenie explaining why she couldn’t come.
“The school visit was a prior engagement and she didn’t want to let down the children. The couple are also hosting the Ghillies Ball so needed to be at Birkhall.”
However another royal source said Camilla was not close to Andrew, 58.
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SNUB RUMOURS
RUMOURS that Camilla’s absence today is due to animosity with Andrew are patently untrue.
The reason is simple — she has had engagements in the diary for a long time and didn’t want to let people down.
Camilla spoke to Eugenie and apologised profusely. The Duchess is a classy lady who would never behave in such a way.
Unlike King Juan Carlos I of Spain who missed Charles and Diana’s wedding in 1981. He heard the honeymoon included a stay in the disputed territory of Gibraltar so decided to snub it.
By Arthur Edwards, Sun Royal Photographer
They say she feels Andrew did little to help when she and Charles were battling for royal acceptance for their relationship after the death of Princess Diana.
One said: “Camilla has always felt that Andrew could have done more.
“The Queen listens to Andrew and he could have helped his brother when he had few allies within the family. Camilla has not forgotten.”
Charles, 70 in November, and Andrew also have different visions for the future after the Queen and Philip die.
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An insider said: “Andrew wants his daughters Bea and Eugenie to have greater roles but Charles won’t have it.
“The Duke of York was extremely unhappy when his daughters had their royal police bodyguards taken away as a cost-cutting measure.”
Around 400 guests will be at the evening reception in Andrew’s Royal Lodge home.
By Emily Andrews
- WATCH the interview and live coverage of the wedding from 9.25am on ITV.
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