Princess Beatrice Opens Up About Her Dyslexia in Rare Interview
Over the weekend, Princess Beatrice opened up about her childhood struggles with dyslexia and her hopes for change in the education system. In a video for Made By Dyslexia, a charity designed to raise awareness about the learning disability, the Princess shared how dyslexia impacted her self esteem growing up.
“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 very challenging. You know, I remember we had different colored books to describe how far your reading levels had got to and I was always on the white books,” Beatrice said. “My best friends were always on the yellow books or the green books. They were so far ahead. 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?”
According to the Mayo Clinic, dyslexia is a reading disability that affects how individuals process language and learn how letters and words relate to their speech sounds. It is often identified around school age, as dyslexic children usually have a harder time learning to read.
It is because of these struggles that the Princess is now sharing her story, hoping to provide support and empathy for children struggling with dyslexia. She praised organizations around the world for advocating "skills-based learning" rather than "just getting things perfect for a test."
🎬👀Watch our brand new Interview with the wonderful HRH Princess Beatrice #MadeByDyslexia who tells us about her school days, Dyslexic Strengths, and hopes for change in education https://t.co/eVaayzfNIo @yorkiebea @bigchange_
— Made By Dyslexia (@MadeByDyslexia) May 23, 2020
Given that Beatrice made it through her childhood struggles, she offered advice to her younger self.
"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," she said. "They are the lessons that you carry with you and they build you up to be who you are."
The Princess also shared dyslexia's impact later in life, and how she has been able to thrive in a career nonetheless. According to LinkedIn, Beatrice is Vice President of Partnerships and Strategy at Afiniti.com, a computer software company specializing in artificial intelligence. In this job, Beatrice says that her dyslexia has actually been an advantage.
"A lot of my colleagues also have dyslexia because we work in a technology company that is always about thinking differently," she said. "And I think that's one of the strengths we have as dyslexics is to look at things differently, be a problem solver, find new ways to do things, be experimental, entrepreneurial."
Beatrice ended her interview by reassuring individuals with dyslexia that, despite misconceptions surrounding this topic, dyslexia is a strength.
"It is not something that is wrong with you. It is a great part of how your brain works and everybody's brain works incredibly differently," she stated. "There is nothing wrong, there is just everything that is so right."
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