Kate Middleton and Prince William Pay Tribute to ‘Brave’ Teen Cancer Patient Liz Hatton After Her Death at 17

Kate Middleton and Prince William are paying tribute to teen cancer patient Liz Hatton following her death at the age of 17 on Wednesday, Nov. 27.

The Prince and Princess of Wales met Hatton and her family at Windsor Castle on Oct. 2 as the royal couple helped the young photographer fulfill a “bucket list” dream.

On Nov. 28, William and Kate, both 42, said in a heartfelt statement posted on their social media accounts, “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.” 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.

A picture of Princess Kate hugging Hatton, from Harrogate, England, went around the world after the meeting at the Castle. Kate had only announced weeks earlier that she had ended her course of chemotherapy treatment after being diagnosed with cancer earlier this year.

Hatton was diagnosed with desmoplastic small round cell tumor, a rare and aggressive form of cancer in January. Doctors gave her a prognosis of anywhere from six months to three years to live, according to the BBC.

Hatton’s mother Vicky Robyana announced the sad news of her daughter’s death on Nov. 27 in a post on X (formerly known as Twitter) and shared that Liz had continued making plans up to the end.

“Our incredible daughter Liz died in the early hours of this morning,” Robyana 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,” Robyana 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.”

Hatton came to prominence when William and Kate invited the photographer to capture an investiture ceremony, in which William handed out honors to outstanding individuals, at Windsor Castle. It formed part of Hatton’s ongoing list of remarkable assignments that she wanted to fulfill.

Afterwards, as they released pictures of their Oct. 2 meeting, the couple shared 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. ❤️ W&C,” they added.

Hatton also shared her own reflections on the day on Instagram. “Such a lovely, genuine and kind people, I’m over the moon that my family and I had this experience,” she wrote at the time on her Instagram Stories under a photo of herself 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.

A day later, Hatton appeared on the Today program on BBC Radio 4 and said of the royal couple, “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.”

Can’t get enough of PEOPLE’s Royals coverage? Sign up for our free Royals newsletter to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more!

As she made the sad announcement on Nov. 27, Robyana asked people to share one of her daughter’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, according a GoFundMe page set up by Robyana.