Kate Middleton Remembers Teen Lost to Cancer, Honors Family Request on 18th Birthday
The Princess of Wales, marking a personal request from the family of a teenager who lost her life to cancer, ensured her story and her creativity continue to be seen. On August 31, a date already heavy with meaning for Prince William and Kate Middleton, the couple used their social media accounts to remember 17-year-old photographer Liz Hatton. Liz, who died in November 2024 after battling a rare form of sarcoma, would have turned 18 this week.
Their post featured a photograph displayed on an easel at Windsor Castle. The picture, showing a yeoman guard, had been taken by Liz herself during an investiture at the castle last October. It was part of a promise she made to herself, a “bucket list” of assignments she wanted to complete before her illness overtook her, as per PEOPLE! “Remembering Liz Hatton today on what would have been her 18th birthday,” the caption of the post read. “Liz took the photo shown in this image during an Investiture at Windsor Castle in October 2024, and it is on display today in the spot where it was taken.”
The decision to showcase Liz’s work on her birthday was made by her mother, Vicky Robayna, who had spoken earlier about the family’s wish for as many people as possible to see Liz’s images. “We just want as many people as possible to see her work,” Vicky had told PEOPLE last month. “If anyone would like one to put up prominently, we’re up to helping with that. People can also share them on their social media.” That call was answered. Liz’s own Instagram page also marked the day with a post written by her family, “Tomorrow should have been Liz’s 18th Birthday. I wonder if she had been writing this post, what she would have written. I suspect something on the lines of ‘Here’s to a lifetime of taking photos.’”
Photography had been Liz’s passion, even as she was living with the devastating diagnosis of desmoplastic small round cell tumor, an aggressive and rare cancer. When the Waleses first heard about her wish to take on more ambitious assignments, they invited her to cover an investiture at Windsor, and later surprised her and her family with a private tea, as per the BBC.
It was all the more meaningful because Middleton herself had just gotten off her chemo sessions when she met her. Fresh and cancer-free, she could relate to Liz's pain more. Back in March, William and Middleton paid tribute to Liz on International Women’s Day, describing her as an example of “strength and creativity.” “It was an honor meeting them both in Windsor in October,” they wrote at the time, alongside photographs of their meeting, including one of Middleton warmly embracing the young photographer.
That bond made her loss in late 2024 all the more painful. After Liz’s death, the couple released a statement, “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.”