Princess Kate has paid a rare personal tribute to a young cancer patient

Teenage photographer Liz Hatton has tragically died aged 17, with her family confirming the news in a statement.

Hatton was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of cancer earlier this year, and given between six months and three years to live. And as a talented amateur photographer, she created a bucket list of unforgettable photography jobs that she wanted to experience in her lifetime - a list that went on to go viral.

Among those to reach out to Hatton were the Prince and Princess of Wales, who asked her to photograph an investiture ceremony for the royal family. And after the ceremony, Hatton and her family were surprised by a private meeting with Princess Kate, who returned to public duty for the occasion, following her own cancer recovery.

"A pleasure to meet with Liz at Windsor today. A talented young photographer whose creativity and strength has inspired us both," the couple posted after their meeting. "Thank you for sharing your photos and story with us. ❤️ W&C."

Following the tragic news of Hatton's passing this week, the Prince and Princess of Wales made another statement - a rare personal tribute to Hatton, who they described as "brave and humble".

"We are so sorry to hear that Liz Hatton has sadly passed away," the Prince and Princess of Wales posted to their Instagram Stories. "It was an honour to have met such a brave and humble young woman."

Their tribute continued: "Our thoughts are with Liz's parents Vicky and Aaron and her brother Marco at this unimaginably difficult time. W & C."

"We are so very proud of the kindness, empathy and courage she has shown in the last year," read a tribute from Liz Hatton's family. "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."

Their tribute continued: "We have two last favours to ask. Firstly, we would like to ask you to share one of her photos - on your social media, or in real life, however you can. Let’s let her go out with a bang. #LizHatton

"Secondly, if you can we would like you to help us with a mission to raise money to fund research into Desmoplastic Small Round Cell Tumour. With no charity in the UK or internationally funding into effective treatments are lacking. In 2024 a 15% 5 year survival rate is simply not enough. Together we can change that. Whether you can share, donate or raise funds - please be our village one more time. Let’s make this the last item on her bucket list and make sure other families don’t face a similar fate: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/vicky-robayna."

Our thoughts are with Liz Hatton's loved ones.