The Prince and Princess of Wales have given a poignant living memorial to the family of teenage photographer Liz Hatton, who died from cancer in November 2024 aged just 17.
William and Kate quietly sent the Ice N Roses Early Rose to Liz's mother Vicky Robayna, with the flower timed to bloom each year around the anniversary of the teenager's death.
The rose now grows in Vicky's garden in northern England, serving as an annual reminder of her daughter's remarkable final months, People magazine reported.
Liz had formed a special bond with the royal couple after they invited her to photograph a Windsor Castle investiture whilst she battled a rare and aggressive form of abdominal cancer.
Princess Kate and Prince William have given a meaningful gift to the family of Liz Hatton.
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The connection between the Hatton's and the royals began when Vicky made a heartfelt plea on social media to help her daughter pursue her photography dreams, a passion shared by the Princess of Wales.
Through a contact at an air ambulance charity supported by Prince William, the royal team learned of Liz's story.
The teenager had been diagnosed with desmoplastic small round cell tumour, an extremely rare sarcoma with limited research or awareness.
William and Kate responded by inviting Liz to photograph a royal event at Windsor Castle, where the Prince was presenting honours to deserving Britons.
The budding photographer tragically died in November 2024 after meeting the Prince and Princess of Wales.
Instagram / Prince and Princess of Wales
This opportunity marked the beginning of a meaningful relationship between the young photographer and the royal couple, both of whom were facing their own health challenges at the time.
During the October 2024 visit, Kate, who was undergoing cancer treatment herself, surprised the family with a warm embrace that left a lasting impression.
Speaking to GB News previously, Vicky and Mateo revealed that that the Prince and Princess of Wales still “regularly reached out” to them with "incredible" support.
Mateo said: "They reached out to us a lot since we met them, they've helped us do pretty much all of the things we've done since then, we wouldn't have had those last 12 weeks without them."
Vicky added: “They've been really, really kind, and their team are still in touch regularly with us. We went to the Carol Concert in December, just after Liz had died and they've been incredible, really, really incredible.
The Prince and Princess of Wales have continued to stay in contact with with Liz Hatton's family.
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"We are well aware that without their support during those last 12 weeks of Liz's life, and the media taking up her story in the way that they did, she wouldn't have had anywhere near the incredible amount of opportunities that she had.
"And we're incredibly grateful for that, and we'll always be incredibly grateful for that.
"It's s so lovely of them to keep remembering her. They've done so much for us as a family already, and to still be thinking of her and remembering her means the world to us all," she concluded.
"Liz always said they were two of the most genuine people she ever met, and I think they were just so kind and so down to earth," Vicky said when reflecting on the initial meeting with Kate to People magazine.
The royal couple showed particular kindness to Liz's younger brother Mateo, who was initially shy during the meeting.
The family were invited to Kate and William's garden party in May.
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"Liz would have said that her favourite part of the whole experience was the way they were with Mateo. He was really shy and they had him chatting away at the end. She really loved them for that," Vicky recalled.
The family felt immediately welcomed, with Vicky describing it as "walking into an extended family and having arms wrapped around you."
The royal support continued after that initial meeting, with the family invited to Kate's annual carol service at Westminster Abbey in December 2024.
They were also guests at a Buckingham Palace garden party in May, where they could personally thank William and Kate for their ongoing support.
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Vicky and Mateo previously told GB News how much the support of Kate and William helped them following Liz's death.
GB News
This royal connection proved transformative for the family's fundraising efforts.
Vicky and her husband Aaron founded Capture, the world's first charity dedicated to desmoplastic small round cell tumour, raising over £126,000 since November 2024.
"Without the princess's support, we wouldn't have raised nearly as much awareness or funding," Vicky said.
"Liz's story reached the world because of them," she added.
Liz's passion for photography remained unwavering throughout her illness, with Vicky noting that "she could sleep a lot of the time, but as soon as you put a camera in her hand, she was off and running and very much alive and enjoying every moment."
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