Princess Beatrice wants to “change the narrative” around dyslexia.
Princess Beatrice
The 33-year-old royal was diagnosed with the learning difficulty – which can cause problems with reading, writing and spelling – as a child, and has said she wants to share her story of how she overcame her struggles so that other young people know they’re not alone.
She said: "If by sharing my story I can help one young person, whether they're 11 or seven, just receiving the news that they've got the gift of dyslexia, then I think you've got such a fantastic opportunity to share some of these great learnings.”
And Beatrice – who is expecting her first child with her husband, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi – wants to help change the way people speak about dyslexia, as she thinks “shifting the narrative” can help people feel less alienated.
She added: "It was always about moving forward, it was always about what you could do. Never about what you can't. And that's something that's really, really important to me. I find it very inspiring every day to talk about it. Because if you can just change one little idea in someone's head, then you've done a great thing.
“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. 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. And I think just shifting the narrative a little bit towards something that is positive, that is impactful, I think can really help everyone."
Beatrice’s husband is also dyslexic, and the couple are prepared for having a baby who may also have the learning difficulty.
She told Giovanna Fletcher during a conversation for Hello! magazine’s digital edition: "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 a little bit about the moments that make you; it's the challenges that make you.”
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