Prince William and Kate Middleton's moving tribute to Liz Hatton on what would have been her 18th birthday
William and Kate met the young photographer a month before she died
Prince William and Kate Middleton have beautifully honoured photographer Liz Hatton on what would have been her 18th birthday.
On what would have marked a major milestone in her young life, Liz Hatton, a talented teenage photographer who died last November after battling a rare and aggressive form of cancer, was remembered in a touching tribute by Prince William, 43, and Kate, 43.
The Prince and Princess of Wales revealed that one of Liz’s photographs, taken at Windsor Castle just weeks before her death, has been displayed in the exact location it was captured.
Prince William and Kate Middleton share tribute to teenage photographer Liz Hatton
“Remembering Liz Hatton today on what would have been her 18th birthday,” they wrote alongside a photo of the framed image on their social media.
“The photo shown in this image was taken by Liz during an Investiture at Windsor Castle in October 2024, and is on display today in the spot where it was taken.” The message was followed by a red heart emoji.
The photograph was taken during an official investiture ceremony and features one of the Yeomen of the Guard. It was placed in the Grand Reception Room at Windsor Castle.
According to palace sources, it will be displayed there for one day only, to commemorate Liz’s birthday and her remarkable achievements in the face of terminal illness.
Remembering Liz Hatton today on what would have been her 18th birthday.
Liz met the Prince and Princess of Wales during her October visit to Windsor. The aspiring photographer was fulfilling a photography bucket list dream amid her treatment for desmoplastic small round cell tumour, a rare cancer.
During their time together, Kate and Liz connected over their mutual love of photography and their personal experiences with cancer. Kate underwent preventative chemotherapy following her own cancer diagnosis in early 2024.
Touchingly, a photograph of Kate hugging Liz during their meeting was shared publicly months later for International Women’s Day.
Kate described her as “a talented young photographer whose creativity and strength has inspired us both”.
Liz Hatton’s mother speaks about grief of losing daughter
Recently, her mother Vicky Robayna spoke to GB News about her daughter’s legacy.
“That was the last thing she ever wanted, for anyone to be sad,” she said. “So I think being celebrated really does matter to us for that reason.
“Are we sad sometimes? Of course, we are. There are times where it’s unbearably difficult. But then we pull ourselves up and think, come on, this is what Liz would want. She would want us to be celebrating what she did achieve, what she did manage to do, and making that possible for other people.”
In addition to photographing Prince William during the investiture ceremony in October 2024, Liz completed shoots with iconic names such as Rankin, the Royal Ballet, and Michael McIntyre.
She even walked the red carpet at the MTV Europe Music Awards, all in the final 12 weeks of her life.
On the eve of her 18th birthday, Liz’s family posted a message on her official Instagram account. They encouraged followers to share her photography and celebrate her work.
They said: “Liz didn’t get a lifetime of taking photos. She got 12 weeks to cram in a lifetime. So instead, tomorrow we would love to flood the internet with her photographs. She can’t be here to celebrate, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t deserve a celebration.”
The post concluded with a call to action: “If you could find time to share one and encourage others to do the same, we would be incredibly grateful. We’ll be sharing some throughout the day as well.”
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