Teen with Cancer Who Shared Special Moment with Kate Middleton Dies: 'She Flew High Until the End'

Mar. 15, 2025

Liz Hatton and Kate Middleton.Photo:Andrew Parsons / Kensington Palace

Andrew Parsons / Kensington Palace

Liz Hatton, the teen with cancer whoKate Middletonhelpedfulfill a “bucket list” dream, has died.

“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. 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.”

Kate Middleton hugging Liz Hatton on Oct. 2, 2024.Prince and Princess of Wales/Instagram

Prince and Princess of Wales/Instagram

“A pleasure to meet with Liz at Windsor today. A talented young photographer whose creativity and strength has inspired us both,” the Prince and Princess of Wales wrote on social media.

“Thank you for sharing your photos and story with us. ❤️,” they added. The couple signed the post “W & C,” using the initials of their first names as shorthand to signal that the message came directly from them.

Kate also joined William and Hatton for the meetup and was pictured embracing the teenager in a warm hug. PEOPLE understands that William and Kate privately spent time with Hatton and her loved ones after the investiture concluded.

“Such a lovely, genuine and kind people, I’m over the moon that my family and I had this experience,” Hatton wrote on her Instagram Story on Oct. 2 under a photo of her hugging the Princess of Wales, who, like Hatton, enjoys photography. Kate has described herself as an “enthusiastic amateur photographer” and serves as patron of The Royal Photographic Society.

On Oct. 3, Hatton appeared on theTodayshow on BBC Radio 4 and said of William and Kate 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 justhumanity and kindness.”

She added that it was “a massive shock” when William and Kate, both 42, walked into the room at Windsor Castle.

“None of us were really expecting it necessarily — except for my little brother apparently!” she said.

The Prince and Princess of Wales meeting young photographer Liz Hatton and family at Windsor Castle.Andrew Parsons / Kensington Palace

Hatton told BBC Radio 4 that she wants to fill her life “with as many good experiences as I can, because those happy memories are what’s going to be what’s important, not just to me but to the people around me who experience them with me.”

“We know our time is short now. To all of you who have supported her work and cheered her on from afar, please know how much you mean to us. She has lived a wonderful life and that is in no small part down to you,” she wrote.

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Inan interview withThe 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.”

source: people.com