The Prince and Princess of Wales were reunited with the parents of Liz Hatton, a teenage photographer who died from cancer last year, after inviting them to a garden party at Buckingham Palace.
Prince William and Kate met Liz in October when she was asked to photograph an investiture at Windsor Castle, along with her parents, Vicky and Aaron Robayna, and her younger brother, Mateo.
Liz, from Harrogate, who was diagnosed with a rare and incurable form of cancer, died several weeks later at the age of 17. She had ticked several items off her photography “bucket list”, including photoshoots for The Times.
Kate, 43, who has said that she is in remission from cancer following chemotherapy last year, embraced Liz’s mother as the women were reunited on the palace lawn.
Mateo, nine, handed the royals two Jellycat soft toys in the shape of a lemon tart and pickled onion — because his sister used to give them to people who made her happy.
The princess, wearing a lemon-yellow dress by Emilia Wickstead and a hat by Philip Treacy, said: “It matches my dress, how did you know? We talked about it. When I see the fish and chips Jellycat, I think of her. She really made the most of everything.
“I loved her creativity all the way through. If you need any help fundraising, maybe I can help. Please stay in touch, really,” Kate added. William said of the soft toys: “My children will love these. They are children’s currency.”
Liz met the royal couple and took photographs for The Times
TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER JAMES GLOSSOP
Mateo, Liz’s brother, presented the prince and princess with soft toys of a pickled onion and a lemon tart
AARON CHOWN/PA
Mrs Robayna told the couple: “You changed her life for the better, you changed ours too because our memories are all positive.”
After meeting Liz last year, the prince and princess released a picture of Kate embracing the teenager and shared a post that read: “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.”
Liz met Kate at Kensington Palace last year, shortly before she died
ANDREW PARSONS/KENSINGTON PALACE
Liz had been given a diagnosis of a rare and aggressive form of cancer known as desmoplastic small round cell tumour.
Following Liz’s death, William and Kate paid tribute to her, saying: “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.”
Since then, her family has started Capture, a charity campaigning to raise funds for research and awareness of the rare cancer.
The charity has funded its first research project and plans to launch its website by the end of May. The family are also fundraising through events such as a 24-hour swim and a marathon challenge for 100 teams. A photo calendar featuring Liz’s work will be released on what would have been her 18th birthday.
Mateo, Aaron Robayna, Liz’s stepfather, and her mother, Vicky
AARON CHOWN/PA
It comes as the Prince and Princess of Wales were named on Time magazine’s list of the 100 most influential philanthropists. The Time100 Philanthropy list was described as “the 100 most influential people shaping the future of giving at a pivotal moment”.
An accompanying article said: “Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales, are less concerned with cultural preservation and more attuned to social issues.” It added: “Crucial to the Waleses’ approach is aligning social imperatives with sound business strategies and building corporate alliances to expand their reach.”
It referred to the princess’s business task force, which suggested last year that investing in early childhood programmes could create an additional £45.5 billion for the UK economy each year.
Others on the list include David Beckham, Oprah Winfrey, Lin-Manuel Miranda, the Hamilton composer, Melinda French Gates, the ex-wife of Bill Gates, Dolly Parton and the actor Michael Sheen.