One teenager's royal dreams came true when she was invited to photograph an investiture at Windsor Castle on Wednesday, Oct. 2, and Liz Hatton—who is battling terminal cancer— told BBC Radio 4's Today program that meeting Princess Kate and Prince William was "a massive shock."
After Hatton, 16, received a diagnosis of a rare and aggressive form of cancer she set out to create a photography bucket list, and snapping a member of the Royal Family was one of her items. The Prince and Princess of Wales heard about Liz's story and asked her to come to the castle for Wednesday's ceremony.
"There was no sort of grandeur about them," she told Today. "There was just humanity and kindness."
The royal couple posted two photos from their meeting on Instagram, with Princess Kate giving Liz a tight hug in one snapshot and the photographer, her stepdad, mom and brother posing with Kate and William in another pic.
The Waleses also shared a post stating, "Congratulations to everyone who received honours at Windsor today! It was a pleasure to have @lizhatton_photography helping us to capture these special moments 📸🎖️."
Although she was able to take photographs while Prince William handed out honors to people doing good work in the U.K., Hatton said she "wasn't expecting" to have a private meeting with the royals.
"I did!" her little brother interjected in the interview.
"Honestly, talking to them was amazing because it was just like talking to anyone, like just a normal person," Hatton mused.
While the teen was given between six months and three years to live with her desmoplastic small round cell tumor, she's determined to make the most of the time she's given.
"I currently have a choice of carrying on treatment or carrying on with life, basically. And considering my treatment isn't likely to work, I may as well fill my life with as many good, like, experiences as I can," Hatton said.
Wednesday's meeting with the inspirational teenager was the first time the Princess of Wales has made an appearance since announcing she'd finished chemotherapy treatment in early September. And while Liz didn't mention what they discussed during their time together, the 16-year-old shares two things in common with the Princess of Wales.
Along with knowing what it's like to fight cancer, Princess Kate is also a photography fan, serving as patron of the Royal Photographic Society and often snapping portraits of her family over the years.
Hatton's mother, Vicky, shared what it meant to meet the royal couple. “Would we choose to have Liz forever and none of these experiences? Of course we would. But that’s not on the cards and we’re so very grateful that people have just gone out of their way to make things happen for her and make some of her dreams come true.”
