Princess Eugenie 'an inspiration' says spinal surgeon as she shows off operation scars in Peter Pilotto dress

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Ahead of her big day, the royal reflected on the surgery and the importance of the charity. Credit: PA

The surgeon who enabled Princess Eugenie to walk down the aisle with a straight back has said she is an "inspiration" to young people with scoliosis.

The princess wed Jack Brooksbank in a dress designed to show off her scars from the childhood operation to correct the spinal condition.

The Peter Pilotto-designed dress was a deliberate tribute to the hospital where she had her operation aged 12.

As a thank you, representatives from the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust, where she received treatment were invited to the wedding, including Mr Jan Lehovsky, a consultant orthopaedic spinal surgeon at the hospital, who the family give credit to for enabling Eugenie to walk straight-backed.

He told ITV News Eugenie was an inspiration to other young people with scoliosis.

"I'm very grateful to Eugenie for what she's doing for Stanmore (the hospital)," he said.

"She does come on a regular basis, officially or unofficially, usually stops off on the ward, talks to the young girls who are going through the same experience, and shares her own experiences, which is actually quite uplifting for the patients."

He said the ninth-in-line to the throne often shared her scars with the patients on the ward.

"She's a great advocate for us," he added.

Scoliosis is sideways curve of the spine - usually a S or a C shape - that causes the spine to lead to one side, causing uneven shoulders or hips.

Before her big day, Eugenie spoke of the importance of showing "people your scars" as she paid tribute to the hospital which performed surgery on her back as a child.

Eugenie's Peter Pilotto dress revealed the scar from her scoliosis operation. Credit: PA

Eugenie was diagnosed with scoliosis when she was 12 years old and received treatment at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, undergoing a successful operation to straighten her spine.

Speaking on ITV's This Morning in the lead up to her wedding, Eugenie told host Eamonn Holmes of the importance of the hospital to her.

She said: "I'm patron of their appeal and I had an operation when I was 12 on my back, and you'll see on Friday, 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.

"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.

"So that's one really important one.

"But separate to that, other organisations that are there, it's just very important that they get a chance to be honoured for the work that they do constantly, so it's lovely that I can share this special day with them."

The princess is also patron of the European School of Osteopathy, a world-renowned provider of undergraduate and postgraduate level osteopathic education.