Liz Hatton: Teen hugged by Kate Middleton told how she dealt with 'constant pain'

Liz Hatton, 17, who drew up a photography bucket database which led her to conscionable Kate Middleton astatine Windsor Castle aft being diagnosed with an assertive crab has sadly died

A teenager who inspired the Princess of Wales while battling crab told however photography helped her done the "constant pain".

Liz Hatton, 17, was diagnosed with an assertive desmoplastic tiny circular compartment tumour and fixed six months to 3 years to unrecorded successful January, has present sadly died her mum announced.

The youngster from Harrogate began a photography bucket database entreaty aft uncovering retired she had crab and was pictured being hugged by Kate astatine Windsor Castle successful October aft being invited to instrumentality pictures of the Prince of Wales astatine an investiture.

She wanted arsenic galore radical arsenic imaginable to spot her photos and erstwhile Prince William heard astir her people helium arranged for her to travel down to Windsor Castle.

Liz was joined astatine the Windsor Castle investiture by her mother, stepfather Aaron and member Mateo, with the household “bowled over” erstwhile her invitation led to a surprise backstage audience with William and Kate.

She told however it was photography that helped her done her arsenic she faced crab arsenic it was a distraction from “the changeless pain” she is in. She told The Mirror: “I’ve ever loved photography due to the fact that it’s a mode to immortalise a infinitesimal for everyone to see.

“I’m peculiarly fascinated by the emotions that a photograph tin portray, oregon marque a spectator feel, arsenic I deliberation it’s astir magical that it tin bash that.” Liz said she was astir 9 oregon 10 erstwhile she saved up hundreds of pounds to bargain her archetypal due camera aft playing astir connected a Kiddizoom camera.

“Another crushed I particularly similar photography is the mode that you tin marque each representation oregon sprout wholly antithetic to the last, meaning I’m ne'er stuck doing the aforesaid aged boring things implicit and implicit again,” she said. “The spontaneity that photography allows maine is incredibly important arsenic I don’t privation to walk what small clip I person near stuck being repeatedly bored. Instead, I tin photograph a manner amusement 1 time past my brother’s sports time the next.

“This way, I tin prime up my camera and absorption connected caller and breathtaking shoots which helps to distract maine from the changeless symptom that I consciousness each 2nd of each day, and the remainder of the world doesn’t look to substance arsenic much.”

Liz’s parent Vicky Robayna paid tribute to her “incredible daughter” and the kindness, empathy and courageousness she showed, saying “she flew precocious until the end”. Her decease astatine location aboriginal connected Wednesday greeting had near “a gaping Liz-shaped spread successful our lives that I americium not definite however we volition ever fill”, she added.

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-one 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.”