A pregnant Princess Beatrice has opened up to Hello Magazine about her experiences with dyslexia, her stepson, and her unborn baby.
The royal, who was diagnosed with dyslexia at seven years old, has dedicated her adult years to changing the conversation around the learning disorder.
Since 2013 she has been a patron for the Helen Arkell Dyslexia Charity, which is an organisation that helps children overcome their challenges.
The royal, who is due to give birth in the British Autumn, spoke to Hello about how she and her husband, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, who also has dyslexia, are broaching the possibility of their baby having the disorder.
“My husband’s also dyslexic so we’ll see whether we’re having this conversation in a couple of months’ time with a new baby in the house, but I really see it as a gift.
“And I think life is about the moments, it’s the challenges that make you. Of course, I would never want there to be any difficult situations.”
She also noted that if her child received a diagnosis, she would lean on the Helen Arkell Dyslexia Charity for support.
“If any child, any bonus son, or future babies that are on their way, are lucky enough to be diagnosed with dyslexia, I feel incredibly grateful to have tools such as the Helen Arkell Dyslexia Charity to be able to tap into, to give them that extra support,” she revealed.
Beatrice explained she is inspired to discuss the topic because she wants to normalise dyslexia and all the ways it makes people unique.
“Honestly, what inspired me to talk about dyslexia the way that I have, is because I really want to change the narrative around the diagnosis,” she said.
“Even referring to it as a diagnosis I feel does a disservice to the brilliance of some of the most fantastic minds that we have.”
Beatrice’s pregnancy isn’t the princesses first foray into parenting, as she’s also a dedicated stepmum to her husband’s son Christopher ‘Wolfie’, five.
In the interview, she explained what it’s been like to home school her stepson and revealed the sweet nickname of ‘bonus son’ she has gifted him.
“Homeschooling, that was definitely not my forte! Not going to lie. Sadly, I can’t blame that on dyslexia,” she said.
“But I’ve felt very lucky to have had the chance to work with my bonus son (Wolfie) over the course of the school closures. It was a huge learning curve for all of us.”