Teenage photographer who inspired Princess Kate ‘wouldn’t want us to be sad’ on her 18th birthday

Mrs Robayna said: "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."

"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."

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."

During the month of August, Mrs Robayna and Liz's younger brother, Mateo, led a fundraiser challenge that invited individuals to cover 26 miles over the 31 days of the month, with the final day coinciding with Liz's birthday.

Mrs Robayna said: "The whole point was to give people a chance to get involved, get active, and live their life fully in the way that Liz always did throughout August, which is her birthday month. And one thing she was always very passionate about was people doing things in their own way. So we really have tried to keep it as broad as possible."

Participants walk, run, cycle, and swim their miles, with Mateo himself taking on a personal triathlon.

Speaking on her son's involvement, Mrs Robayna said: He has always taken it very seriously, completing up to eight miles some days. He made videos to try and convince people to take part online, and it's just, you know, as always, gone for it headfirst. He's swum, cycled, walked and run some miles. He also scooted some miles.

"He took part in the three-legged mile with another of our participants. He, as always, has led from the front and done his miles well and truly."

Mrs Robayna added that some people have completed the challenge walking backwards, scootering and skateboarding.

As well as friends, family and carers of the late teenager, participants from the US and Peru have also joined the cause.

Over £6,500 has been raised collectively to support Capture’s groundbreaking new research project into the needs of young people with cancers that carry less than a 15 per cent survival rate.

Mrs Robayna explained: "It's a particularly isolating one, because there are so few people that are diagnosed with it, the farther it spreads, the more chance there is of other people finding us, of us being able to collaborate together to do research, of us getting enough of us together to make a real difference."

Alongside the challenge, Mrs Robayna told the People's Channel that the community will mark Liz’s 18th birthday by displaying her photographs in as many locations as possible.

The then-teenage photographer met the Prince and Princess of Wales in October last year at Windsor Castle and was then featured in a message to mark International Women's Day posted on the Wales official Instagram page months later.

During their meeting, Kate was pictured giving Hatton an emotional hug, with the pair focusing on their shared love of photography and their battles against cancer.

The Princess of Wales announced she had been diagnosed with cancer in March 2024, resulting in the royal temporarily stepping back from her duties.

Her surprise meeting with Hatton was just one of a few events ungone during her recovery.

Hatton's family and friends will take part in a final mile in her home town of Harrogate before meeting for a celebration with family and friends on what would have been Liz's birthday.

READ MORE:

• Kate and William 'regularly reach out' to Liz Hatton's family as royal couple's 'incredible' support hailed
• Family of 'incredible' teenage photographer who met Princess Kate and Prince William reach major target
• Young girl with cancer who met Princess Kate completes dream bucket list wish

Her mother told GB News: "It's all about showing people that no matter what's going on in your life, you can always find a way to do something if you really want to. We've got really active people who are doing lots of miles on a day, but we've also got people with health challenges, who are literally doing half a mile in the morning and half a mile at night to be able to get through it.

"Liz really showed us that she lived her life even when things were tricky, and she was determined to do it."

"It would have been really important to Liz, and therefore, that makes it important to us.

"We're just so grateful for everybody, to the family and friends that have taken part, but also to those people who've just taken her and Mateo and taken Liz and Mateo into their hearts and joined in. We've got one lady who lives locally, but who we've never met, and she's blind, and she's completed a marathon with her guide dog.

"It just means a world where people are taking part, caring, and want to make a difference. If enough of us stand up and say, 'that's what we're determined to do', then it will happen."

To donate to Mateo Fundraiser, click here.