The Prince and Princess of Wales have expressed their sadness at the death of teenage photographer Liz Hatton, saying it was "an honour to have met such a brave and humble young woman".
The 17-year-old, who died on Wednesday, pursued a photography bucket list after being diagnosed with an aggressive and rare form of cancer at the start of the year.
Liz, from Harrogate, North Yorkshire, hit the headlines when she was pictured being hugged by Kate at Windsor Castle in October after being invited to take pictures of William at an investiture.
The Prince and Princess of Wales said in a personal message posted on their official social media accounts: “We are so sorry to hear that Liz Hatton has sadly passed away.
“It was an honour to have met such a brave and humble young woman.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with Liz’s parents Vicky and Aaron and her brother Mateo at this unimaginably difficult time.”
The message was signed “W & C”.
Liz's mother Vicky Robayna praised her "incredible daughter", saying "she flew high until the end" as she announced her death on X.
Her death at home in the early hours of Wednesday had left "a gaping Liz-shaped hole in our lives that I am not sure how we will ever fill", she added.
Ms Robayna asked people to share one of Liz's photos in tribute, under the hashtag #LizHatton, and also to support the family's mission to fund research into Desmoplastic Small Round Cell Tumour, a rare and aggressive sarcoma.
She set up a fundraising page with the goal of raising £100,000.
As part of her bucket list, Liz went on to photograph comedian Michael McIntyre, circus performers, the Royal Ballet, models from the Storm Model Agency, London Air Ambulances from a helipad, hotel doormen, the red carpet at the MTV Europe Music Awards, and joined acclaimed British photographer Rankin to lead a fashion shoot.
Rankin previously paid tribute to her skill, telling the BBC: “The photos Liz has created… are really sophisticated images… She understands that it’s a creation.”
Liz was invited by the Prince of Wales to take pictures at an investiture ceremony last month, and later described meeting Kate, who herself was treated for cancer this year, and William as “quite a mind-blowing, overwhelming experience”.
Social media users paid tribute to Liz on Wednesday evening, following news of her death.
They described her as “an amazing person, with so much courage and talent”, who “lit up the world with her generous and kind spirit.”
“[She] was not just an incredibly talented photographer but an inspiration to so many around the world,” said one user, while another described her as “a light in the darkness... [who] gifted us with her amazing images”.
