Budding photographer Liz Hatton has shared heartfelt details of her meeting with Kate Middleton at Windsor Castle.
The 16-year-old, from Harrogate in Yorkshire, told the Today program on BBC Radio 4 about the moment she was hugged by the Princess of Wales after an investiture ceremony hosted by Prince William.
“There was no sort of grandeur about them, there was just humanity and kindness,” Hatton spoke about the future Queen.
Hatton has been diagnosed with a desmoplastic small round cell tumor, a rare and aggressive form of cancer. She has also been told she has between six months and three years to live.
Hatton said it was “a massive shock” when Kate and William walked into the room at the Castle on Wednesday, October 2.
“None of us were really expecting it necessarily — except for my little brother apparently!” added Hatton.
Hatton had been invited by the palace to capture the investiture on camera, as part of a series of unforgettable experiences. She and her family then met the royal couple privately.
“Talking to them was amazing ‘cause it was like talking to anyone, like just a normal person. There was no sort of grandeur about them, there was just humanity and kindness.”