A teenager with a rare cancer who was given a special hug from the Princess of Wales told how that meeting was so “jaw-dropping” and “insane” - she hadn’t even put it on her bucket list.
Budding photographer Liz Hatton, from Harrogate in North Yorkshire, was given rare permission to shoot pictures behind the scenes of an investiture, which were later published by Kensington Palace. It was the first time the Princess has been photographed back at work since finishing her own chemotherapy this summer.
The royal couple had invited Liz, who has weeks to live, to do the shoot after hearing she had made a photography ‘bucket list’. And in a special moment Kate hugged "shell-shocked" Liz in a surprise meeting after her shoot.
In a personal message published on social media, the Prince and Princess later said: "A pleasure to meet Liz at Windsor today. A talented young photographer whose creativity and strength has inspired us both. Thank you for sharing your photos and story with us. W&C."
Liz, who has been through ten rounds of gruelling chemotherapy, told the Mirror this morning how her surprise meeting with the couple left her “shell-shocked”. “It wasn’t even on my bucket list, it was way too big. I never thought I would get to do anything as massive as this." she said.
“When I did my bucket list I just put some ideas down that I didn’t even think any of these things would happen.“ She was invited to Windsor Castle after the royal couple were told about her ‘bucket list’ by a contact at the London Air Ambulance.
“My mum told me that someone from the air ambulance crew had contacted the palace and was trying to arrange something,” Liz said. “But at that point I was completely convinced that absolutely nothing would come of it because I am just some random girl from North Yorkshire and they’re the royal family.”
A few months ago, she said a similar event had been planned but “unfortunately my treatment got in the way of that”. “But they were just so lovely and they promised to reschedule and stay in touch which they did and a few weeks ago they got back in touch and said there was another opportunity so obviously we jumped on it because we could,” the teen said.
“Since then they’ve explained everything to us before it happened except for meeting them - which we completely didn’t know about! We had no idea we would be meeting the Prince and Princess until they walked through the door.
“I was quite shell-shocked to be honest, the whole day was jaw dropping. But that moment was just insane. It was really special because they were just so kind.“
She described getting that hug from Kate as “really special”. “There was nothing about them that suggested they were superior. They were just really human to be honest and really natural. There was never a moment of awkwardness. It was normal to talk to them. They talked a lot about my photography.”
She said the Princess talked a “little bit” about her love of photography and she asked about what camera she uses, which is a Canon. Of what else is on her bucket list Liz said “doing anything with Vogue, that would be a dream! And anything to do with music.
“I just love new experiences and trying everything possible, I can. Anything around meeting people. That is what I live for at this point really. I’m just very blessed and very honoured that people have taken their time to look at what I’ve done and I’m happy to say they’ve enjoyed it and people appreciate it. That's amazing.”
And in a message to other teenagers who may be going through what she is, Liz said: “I’d say ‘find the thing that makes it worth carrying on’ because there are definitely times when you will question whether it is worth carrying on. But if you don’t find those things to make you pull through and make it worth it, then you will struggle a lot more.”
Every cycle of “horrible” chemotherapy her family had planned “something nice” to counteract her ordeal. Her mum added: “The side effects are so much worse than we expected.”
Liz drew up her photography bucket list to create a 'lifetime of memories" after being diagnosed with desmoplastic small round cell tumour in January.
Because it is so rare there is currently no standard care treatment. Her mum Vicky Robayna, 43, said their special day with the Royal Family had been “utterly incredible”.
“To be invited to take photos of the investiture ceremony was not something she had put on the bucket list, it was way too big to put on the bucket list,” she said “We didn’t know she was going to meet The Prince or the Princess. We thought the best case scenario was Prince William might have said ‘hello’ to her while she was taking photos. We didn’t think it would go beyond that and we certainly didn’t expect to see anybody.
“When we got there they said ‘Prince William would like to say ‘hello’ at the end’. And even then we thought it would just be a very quick ‘hello.’ But then they both walked in together and spent half an hour chatting with us, and were just so lovely and so kind, so genuine, they just completely bowled us over."
But she said the icing on the cake was when they posted her daughter's pictures on their Instagram account. "This meant the world to her because one of the big things she says is; ‘I want people to see my photographs’. And they certainly achieved that for her, she’s got another 1000 followers on her Instagram overnight.
“I don’t think any of us quite believe it has happened.” The mum praised the couple's team too and revealed how much you can tell they all love working for the royal couple.
The mum said: “Every single member of the team has been so genuine and kind, right down to checking what food she can eat at the moment, what food she can enjoy. Telling us ‘ If she gets up and is not feeling it at the moment or is not feeling very well just get in touch and we will reschedule.
“They could have been more thoughtful and kind, every member of the team. You could just tell how much they loved them, loved working for them. It was just a very genuine atmosphere.”
She told how they were even “careful” to include their eight year old son Mateo who was with them. “They were really careful to involve him and chat to him, he’s very very shy but at the end of the time he was chatting away to them.
"Obviously it was about Liz and making Liz feel special but I think often in these situations siblings get forgotten and it’s really tough on them too." In tears, she added: "They made him feel part of such an incredible day and when his sister isn’t here, and she won't be, because she only has eight to ten weeks to live at this point, he has a memory he can tell his children and grandchildren.
"He’s only eight so some of those memories won’t stay forever but this one will. And for Liz it has been the most incredible opportunity and for us it has been the best and most surreal day any of us have ever had or ever will have.
“I don’t think any of us could quite believe it when they walked in and and then when they were just so utterly lovely, What was really nice was that they talked to her about her photography rather than about her being ill. Liz has always said ‘my cancer doesn’t define me, it is just a part of who I am’.
“They made it about the things that were important to her rather than about her being poorly.”
Liz said: "When I was diagnosed, I dropped out of school and decided that I was going to pursue what I enjoyed most, which is photography."
She said she had been "lucky enough" to do a lot of her bucket list including a stint at London Fashion Week.
But about the royal meeting she said: "It wasn't even on the list because we had no idea it would be possible. "As they walked through the door it was a massive shock. "
About her decision to make a bucket list, she added: "I have a choice of carrying on treatment or carrying on with life. Considering my treatment isn't likely to work, I may as well fill my life with as many good experiences as I can because those happy memories are what's going to be most important. Not just for me but for those around me who experience them with me."
Liz's bucket list
- Photograph the rehearsal of a major musical
- Watch the filming of Would I Lie To You
- Have photographs published in as many magazines as possible
- Take photographs of the catwalk at London Fashion Week
- Photograph circus performers practising their act
- Help film a movie
- Photograph a music festival
- Take photos of the Christmas markets at Tivoli Gardens
- Do a photo shoot with professional models
- Take photos in a fashion shoot at a big fashion house