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

Liz Hatton, the teen with cancer who Kate Middleton helped fulfill a “bucket list” dream, has died.

In a heartfelt message posted on X, Hatton’s mother Vicky Robyana shared the news that her 17-year-old daughter died on Wednesday, Nov. 27. Hatton, from Harrogate, England, was diagnosed in January with desmoplastic small round cell tumor, a rare and aggressive form of cancer. Doctors gave her a prognosis of anywhere from six months to three years to live, according to the BBC.

“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.”

On Oct. 2, Princess Kate — who was diagnosed with cancer earlier this year — welcomed Hatton to Windsor Castle on the same day that her husband Prince William held an investiture ceremony there. Hatton was invited by the Prince of Wales to photograph the investitures that day as part of her “photography bucket list.”

“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.

In her message on X, Robyana made two heartfelt requests in memory of her daughter: She asked people to share one of Hatton’s photos, either on social media or in person, using the hashtag #LizHatton, as a tribute to her life and photography. Additionally, the family is calling on others to help raise funds for research into desmoplastic small round cell tumour

On Oct. 3, Hatton appeared on the Today show 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 just humanity 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. 

Hatton was joined by her mother, her stepfather Aaron and her aforementioned little brother Mateo, 8. In an interview with The Times, Hatton shared that Windsor Castle’s kitchens also called her family to ensure Hatton would have her favorite food — lemon drizzle cake. After the visit, as the sentimental story caught fire around the world, “The palace staff have been calling us every day to check we’re alright,” Robayna told the outlet. “And I say ‘yes.’ I’ve honestly never seen Liz as alive as she has been this week.”

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.”

Robyana added in the radio interview, “Would we choose to have Liz forever and none of these experiences — of course we would. But that’s not on the cards, and we’re so very grateful that people have just gone out of their way to make things happen for her and make some of her dreams come true.”

On Nov. 25, Robyana wrote on X that she was “more in awe of her daughter than ever,” and added that Hatton “has become increasingly tired.” Written three days before Thanksgiving, she said that the family planned to celebrate Christmas early at the end of the week.

“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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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.”