Liz Hatton: Family's heartbreaking tribute to teen who inspired Kate Middleton

Liz Hatton, who inspired Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales, aft pursuing a photography bucket database portion facing a uncommon signifier of cancer, has died and tributes person been paid to her

The household of a teenage lensman who was hugged by the Princess of Wales has described the youngster arsenic "the champion quality and the astir fantastic daughter" pursuing her death.

Liz Hatton's parent Vicky Robayna led the tribute to the tragic 17-year-old miss who has died pursuing a travel with a uncommon signifier of cancer. She praised Liz's determination and courageousness arsenic the teen started a photography bucket database entreaty successful January and fulfilled galore of those dreams.

These moments included a poignant brushwood with Princess Kate, who was snapped hugging Liz astatine Windsor Castle successful October. The teen had been invited to instrumentality pictures of the Prince of Wales astatine an investiture.

On Wednesday night, Ms Robayna announced connected X: "Our unthinkable girl Liz died successful the aboriginal hours of this morning. She remained determined to the last. Even yesterday, she was inactive making plans. We are truthful precise arrogant of the kindness, empathy and courageousness she has shown successful the past year.

"She was not lone a phenomenal photographer, she was the champion quality and the astir fantastic girl and large sister we could ever person asked for. No 1 could person fought harder for beingness than she did. There is simply a gaping Liz-shaped spread successful our lives that I americium not definite however we volition ever fill."

Liz, from Harrogate, North Yorkshire, was diagnosed with an assertive desmoplastic tiny circular compartment tumour and fixed six months to 3 years to live. She died connected Wednesday astatine home, it is thought astir 11 months aft the diagnosis.

Ms Robayna offered her acknowledgment to those who helped the teen fulfil her dreams successful her last months and those who liked and supported her work, adding: "You ensured Liz's past 2 months were her precise best. She flew precocious until the end."

She asked radical to stock 1 of Liz's photos successful tribute, nether the hashtag #LizHatton, and besides to enactment the family's ngo to money probe into Desmoplastic Small Round Cell Tumour, which has nary foundation specialising successful the illness successful the UK.

Vicky has acceptable up a fundraising leafage astatine justgiving.com/crowdfunding/vicky-robayna with a extremity of raising £100,000. Kate, who herself was treated for crab this year, and William, successful a idiosyncratic connection earlier successful the autumn, described Liz arsenic a "talented young lensman whose creativity and spot has inspired america both".

Liz was joined astatine the Windsor Castle investiture by her mother, stepfather Aaron and member Mateo. As portion of her bucket list, she went connected to photograph comedian Michael McIntyre, circus performers, the Royal Ballet, models from the Storm Model Agency, the London Air Ambulances from a helipad, edifice doormen, the reddish carpet astatine the MTV Europe Music Awards, and joined acclaimed British lensman Rankin to pb a manner shoot.

Rankin antecedently paid tribute to her skill, telling the BBC: "The photos Liz has created... are truly blase images... She understands that it's a creation."

He added: "It's been a existent privilege actually, watching her. I've been beauteous redundant. She did precisely what an experienced lensman would do. Got involved, gave radical directions, astir became the skipper of the ship."

Liz fulfilled what her parent described arsenic her "biggest wish", spending 2 days with Los Angeles-based representation lensman David Suh, who flew from the US to enactment with her.

Her task culminated successful her ain photography accumulation successful London this month, showcasing her work. Ms Robayna said connected X astatine the time: "Liz had her precise ain accumulation past week, the cleanable culmination of her unthinkable achievements.

"As I walked astir looking astatine her pictures, reasoning astir the circumstances galore were taken under, I was much successful awe of her than ever."

But Ms Robayna besides revealed 2 days agone however Liz had go progressively bushed and however they were owed to beryllium celebrating Christmas aboriginal arsenic a household astatine the extremity of this week, adding: "We cognize our clip is abbreviated now."

The erstwhile Harrogate Grammar School pupil launched her ain website devoted to her photography. It tells however she began taking photographs arsenic soon arsenic she could walk, saved to bargain her archetypal "real" camera aged 9 and, astatine 11, chose her secondary schoolhouse due to the fact that they offered photography arsenic a course.

She took GCSE photography and began her A-level to refine her skill. Taking photographs besides helped Liz header with her changeless pain.

"Every clip she picks up her camera and focuses connected caller and breathtaking shoots it helps to distract her from the changeless symptom that she feels each 2nd of each day. When taking photographs, the remainder of the world doesn't look to substance arsenic much," the tract said.