The mum of teenage photographer Liz Hatton thanked the Prince and Princess of Wales for the ‘kindness’ and ‘opportunities’ they gave the 17-year-old before her death
The mum of teenage cancer patient Liz Hatton, who got a hug from Kate Middleton at Windsor Castle last month, says the 17-year-old’s last two months “were the brightest of her life.”
Responding to a tribute from the Prince and Princess of Wales, who described Liz as a “brave and humble young woman”, Liz’s mum wrote in a heartbreaking post on X: “Thank you, we are so very grateful to you both and all of your team for the kindness you have shown us all and the opportunities you made possible for Liz.
“Her last two months were the brightest of her life. You introduced the world to her work. We will always be immensely grateful to you for that”, she added.
Liz Hatton passed away aged just 17, less than a year after being diagnosed with incurable desmoplastic small round cell tumour. The cancer is aggressive and incredibly rare – with only around 12 cases per year in England. Her mum, Vicky Robayna, paid tribute to her “incredible daughter” and the “kindness, empathy and courage” she showed.
She added that there was now “a gaping Liz-shaped hole in our lives that I am not sure how we will ever fill”.
Vicky said: “Our lovely Liz died in the early hours of this morning. She remained determined to her last. Even yesterday she was telling me that I had better get nurses sorted so she could do more things. She went out in a blaze of glory with almost everyone she cared about seeing her for the last time at her exhibition last week.”
In the months leading up to her death, Liz, had been ticking off a bucket list of activities she wanted to achieve, including getting her pictures published in magazines. She embraced the Princess of Wales at Windsor castle last month after being invited to shoot behind the scenes of an investiture ceremony.
She then got to check off another bucket list activity by photographing celebrities at the premiere of ‘Venom: The Last Dance’ in central London on October 23. The 17-year-old snapped a number of famous faces, including Tom Hardy, Hannah Waddington and Strictly’s Amy Dowden.
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