Liz Hatton, a young photographer who met Kate Middelton and was pictured embracing her, has died while battling a rare form of cancer, her mother has revealed. The 17-year-old, from Harrogate, met Kate at Windsor Castle and was hugged by her in October. Hatton had been invited to take pictures of Prince William at an investiture.
Kate, who is battling cancer herself, said Hatton inspired her as she continued to embrace her love for photography even as she suffered from an aggressive desmoplastic small round cell tumour. Hatton rose to prominence in January when her photography bucket list appeal went viral while she was given six months to three years to live.
‘She was not only a phenomenal photographer, she was the best human’
On Wednesday, November 27, Hatton’s mother Vicky Robayna paid tribute to her daughter in an X post. “Our incredible daughter Liz died in the early hours of this morning,” she wrote. “She remained determined to the last. Even yesterday she was still making plans. We are so very proud of the kindness, empathy and courage she has shown in the last year. She was not only a phenomenal photographer, she was the best human, and the most wonderful daughter and big sister we could ever have asked for. No one could have fought harder for life than she did.”
She continued, “There is a gaping Liz shaped hole in our lives that I am not sure how we will ever fill. We have so much gratitude to every single one of you, whether you offered to help, or liked or shared posts – you ensured Liz’s last two months were her very best. She flew high until the end.”
Robayna urged X users to help her raisemoney to fund research into Desmoplastic Small Round Cell Tumour, sharing a link. “Whether you can share, donate or raise funds – please be our village one more time. Let’s make this the last item on her bucket list and make sure other families don’t face a similar fate,” she wrote.
Kate Middelton and Prince William pay tribute
William and Kate also paid tribute to Hatton. The Prince and Princess of Wales’ X account posted, “We are so sorry to hear that Liz Hatton has sadly passed away. It was an honour to have met such a brave and humble young woman. Our thoughts and prayers are with Liz’s parents Vicky and Aaron and her brother Mateo at this unimaginably difficult time.”
As part of her bucket list, Hatton photographedcomedian Michael McIntyre, circus performers, the Royal Ballet, models from the Storm Model Agency, the London Air Ambulances from a helipad, hotel doormen, the red carpet at the MTV Europe Music Awards. She also took part in a fashion shoot alongside British photographer Rankin.
