Princess Beatrice, who is one of Queen Elizabeth's II grandchildren and the cousin of Princes William and Harry, has opened up about her dyslexia struggles during the observance of World Book Day Thursday. The royal revealed how big a part her parents played in overcoming the disorder.
The princess admitted she had a hard time learning to read as a child. She wouldn't be able to deal with her dyslexia struggles, however, if not for her parents' encouragement, as she told the Evening Standard.
She said after she was diagnosed with dyslexia as a child, her parents took the time to read to her and it became a ritual growing up. By the time she was 11, she was able to tear through pages of "Harry Potter." There were days when her parents had to travel for their duties as royals and when the kids couldn't come, they made sure Princess Beatrice would still be able to enjoy reading time.
"If my parents ever traveled they would take time to record some of my favorite books on tape and I would listen to their voices as I fell asleep," the princess told the news outlet. "[It's] one of my favorite memories from story time with my parents."
One of the reasons why her mother, Sarah Ferguson, became a children's book author was to help Princess Beatrice overcome her dyslexia. Ferguson wrote stories based on her father, Prince Andrew, who worked as a helicopter pilot with the Royal Navy.
Ferguson wrote several books about a cartoon helicopter named Budgie. The first title in the book series, "Budgie the Little Helicopter," was published in 1989, per Amazon.
"To this day, these stories make me think back, with the fondest memories, to a time when books would take me into the best adventures and fill my mind with the best images," the princess said of her mother's books, per People. Today, Princess Beatrice is a staunch supporter of dyslexia awareness and she is a patron of the Oscar Book Prize.
