Princess Beatrice opens up about dyslexia and struggles with self-doubt

Princess Beatrice says she suffered from low confidence, struggling with dyslexia in her early school years.

In a revealing interview with global charitable organization Made by Dyslexia, the 31-year-old opened up about her experience with the learning disability, and how it’s actually been beneficial despite some struggles.

“The reason why I am so passionate about dyslexia is because of being a dyslexic person myself. I feel like I really understand that we have a responsibility to change the narrative around what we are delivering to young people in the classroom,” Beatrice says in the video.

The princess, who was supposed to marry fiancé Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi this month, said she often dealt with low self-confidence and feelings of self-doubt in school.

“I was very lucky, I got to go to a school that was very nurturing and very supportive, but I would describe the actual day-to-day learning side of things (as) very challenging.”

She says her school had colour-coded books for each reading level, and she was always a few levels behind her friends.

4:41 Former NHLer discusses living with dyslexia

“They were so far ahead,” she said. “And I think at that stage, those moments of doubt just pop into your head. ‘I’m not good enough, I’m not smart enough. Why am I not like the others?’

“I think when you’re in the classroom, those moments are very defining. I think if I were to say to my younger self do not be defined by those moments that happened to you in that exam or that classroom because they are lifelong learnings. They are lessons that you carry with you, and they build you up to be who you are.”

But Beatrice says that working at a tech company right now has helped her strengths shine, noting that many of her colleagues have dyslexia, too.

“I think that’s one of the strengths we have as dyslexic is to look at things differently, be a problem solver, find new ways to do things, be experimental, entrepreneurial,” Beatrice says.

The daughter of Sarah Ferguson and Prince Andrew is currently a patron of U.K. dyslexia support centre Arkell Dyslexia.

Her first video since the cancellation of her wedding due to COVID-19 was shared by Arkell.

—

meaghan.wray@globalnews.ca