The young woman who met Princess Kate, Liz Hatton, has died aged 17 after an “unbelievably brave” cancer battle.
An inspirational young cancer patient who touched the hearts of the nation after meeting the Princess of Wales has sadly died.
Hatton died in the early hours of Wednesday at her home in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, at the age of just 17.
This comes less than a year after Hatton was diagnosed with an incurable desmoplastic small round cell tumour.
Young woman who met Princess Kate, Liz Hatton, dies aged 17 after ‘unbelievably brave’ cancer battle
Instagram / Prince and Princess of Wales
A hugely talented photographer, she compiled an inspirational “bucket list” of assignments to complete in the last months of her life, which reached the ears of the Prince and Princess of Wales.
She was invited by William and Kate to Windsor Castle to photograph an investiture the Prince of Wales was holding and, to her surprise, asked to have tea with the couple afterwards.
Kate, who has battled her own cancer journey this year, was pictured giving Hatton an emotional hug, with the pair focusing on their shared love of photography.
The brave teenager always said she did not want to be defined by her illness.
Liz Hatton and Princess Kate met at Windsor Castle in OctoberInstagram / Prince and Princess of WalesAs a result of their meeting, Hatton was inundated with offers of support and was able to complete almost all of her bucket list, including a London film premiere and more.
She was photographing stars on the red carpet of the Royal Variety Show last Friday and was proud beyond belief to attend an exhibition of her incredible work in London.
Sadly, however, her condition began to rapidly deteriorate, so much so that her family had decided to celebrate Christmas early this weekend.
Hatton’s mother, Vicky Robayna, told The Mail that the family were taking comfort from the fact that she had blazed such a trail in such a short space of time.
Liz Hatton and her mother Vicky appearing on GB News earlier this year
GB News
She said: “Our lovely Liz died in the early hours of this morning. She remained determined to her last.
“Even yesterday she was telling me that I had better get nurses sorted so she could do more things.
“She went out in a blaze of glory with almost everyone she cared out seeing her for the last time at her exhibition last week.
“I could not be prouder of her. She has faced every day with unbelievable bravery. And now it’s our turn to do her proud and give her brother the life she expects us to.
Prince William and Princess Kate met with Liz Hatton in Windsor Castle in October
PA
“She was never scared of dying but she was terrified of leaving him behind. It’s our job to make that a little easier for her.”
Robayna said that Hatton, who fell in love with photography as a young girl, would have “loved nothing more” than her photographs being “seen one more time”.
In January 2024, she was given between six months and three years to live, and, after deciding to stop months of gruelling treatment, dropped her studies to pursue her dream of taking photos.