Kensington Palace has made a touching gesture to mark what would have been the 18th birthday of the late teenage photographer, Liz Hatton.
The amateur photographer had shared her cancer story with the Prince and Princess of Wales just a month before her death in November last year.
In a tribute to the late budding creative, Kensington Palace are proudly displaying a photograph taken by Ms Hatton in the Grand Reception Room of Windsor Castle – the room in which it was taken.
The picture is of a Yeoman of the Guard and has been put on show alongside a caption celebrating its significance.
Kensington Palace have marked what would have been Liz Hatton's 18th birthday with a touching gesture
|KENSINGTON PALACE
Today’s tribute was organised as Ms Hatton’s family have been displaying pictures she took in the places they were captured.
Upon hearing of this plan, Princess Kate and Prince William made sure they could join in marking the bittersweet day.
“Remembering Liz Hatton today on what would have been her 18th birthday,” the palace wrote in a post shared across social media.
Accompanying the caption was an image of Ms Hatton’s photo on display in the grand surrounds of the Reception Room.
One of Ms Hatton's last photos is being displayed at WIndsor Castle, in the exact spot it was taken
|KENSINGTON PALACE
“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 post concluded, signing off with a love heart emoji.
Alongside the photograph was a blurb explaining the background of the tribute.
“Today, Sunday 31st August, would have been Liz Hatton’s 18th birthday. Tragically, Liz passed away in November 2024 at the age of 17 from Desmoplastic Small Round Cell Tumour (DSRCT), a rare and aggressive type of cancer,” it read.
“Liz was a budding photographer, and in her final months fulfilled her dream to pursue a photography bucket list, capturing a range of beautiful images including here in Windsor Castle, as well as in a number of exclusive locations,” the caption concluded.
Princess Kate and Prince William described Ms Hatton as 'talented young photographer whose creativity and strength has inspired us both'
|KENSINGTON PALACE
Following Ms Hatton's death, Princess Kate, who herself was treated for cancer last year, and Prince William described her as a "talented young photographer whose creativity and strength has inspired us both".
The late photographer's mother, Vicky Robayna, spoke with GB News about her late daughter’s birthday ahead of the date.
"Liz never wanted anyone to be sad. That was the last thing she ever wanted. So I think being celebrated really does matter to us for that reason,” Ms Robayna said.
"Are we sad sometimes? Of course, we are. You know, there are times where it's unbearably difficult, but then we pull ourselves up and think, come on, this is what Liz would want."
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|Mrs Robayna added: "She would want us to be celebrating what she did achieve, what she did manage to do, and making that possible for other people. And that is very much what's going on."
"There will be a few of her photos getting out in some of the places where she was lucky enough to take photos on her birthday as well. So it will be a celebration of all those people who loved her and helped her, really.
"She always put other people before herself. She was a very, very kind person throughout her whole life, and just wanted to make others happy and make a difference,” Ms Hatton’s mother added.