Liz Hatton, a 17-year-old from Harrogate, North Yorkshire, whose passion for photography during her battle with terminal cancer brought her opportunities to meet the Princess of Wales and collaborate with photographer Rankin, has died
Her mother, Vicky Robayna, shared the news early Wednesday morning on social media.
Diagnosed with a rare and aggressive cancer in January, Hatton began a photography bucket list that led to remarkable experiences. In October, she was invited to photograph a Windsor Castle investiture, where Kate Middleton – who was diagnosed with cancer herself earlier this year – was captured sharing a heartfelt hug with her.
"Our incredible daughter Liz died in the early hours of this morning. 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," her mother wrote on X.
"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 added.
"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."
In January, Liz Hatton was diagnosed with desmoplastic small round cell tumor and given a prognosis of six months to three years. She chose to end chemotherapy in October, focusing on fulfilling her dreams and creating lasting memories.
Her bucket list included working on a fashion shoot, which she was helped to do by Rankin.
After her meeting with Kate Middleton, she and the Prince of Wales wrote on social media: "A pleasure to meet with Liz at Windsor today. A talented young photographer whose creativity and strength has inspired us both... Thank you for sharing your photos and story with us."
On Oct. 3, Hatton appeared on the Today show on BBC Radio 4 and spoke about her experience meeting the Prince and Princess of Wales, saying that "Talking to them was amazing 'cause it was like talking to anyone, like just a normal person. There was no sort of grandeur about them, there was just humanity and kindness."
In an interview with The Times, Hatton said, "It is uncertain how long I have, how long I'll live. But it is certain that it won't be for a long time. And so, because of that, I feel like the only thing you can do is do as much as possible, as much as possible of what you want to do and what you enjoy. And to spend it with the people you love."
"And yeah, well, what else can you do?" she added. "Otherwise, you'd just sit there and be overwhelmed the whole time. And of course, there are those days where you are upset and it's too much. Be positive, but ... most of the time you've just got to lift yourself up and be lifted up by the people around you to carry on."
