Worlds collided when Kate Middleton met a brave teenage girl battling cancer. Kate, the Princess of Wales, who last month shared she had completed chemotherapy treatments following her own cancer diagnosis, and her husband Prince William posted photos from their meeting with Elizabeth Hatton—a 16-year-old British photographer, and her family at Windsor Castle.
“A pleasure to meet with Liz at Windsor today,” the couple captioned their Oct. 2 Instagram post, which included a pic of Kate and Liz sharing a hug. “A talented young photographer whose creativity and strength has inspired us both. Thank you for sharing your photos and story with us. W&C.”
In January, the teen was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive sarcoma, or cancer that forms in connective tissues, called Desmoplastic Small Round Cell Tumors (DSRCT), in which tumors grow in the abdomen and pelvic area. She has since undergone several rounds of chemotherapy, according to her mother Vicky Roboyna‘s Facebook page.
Kate and William also posted a pic of themselves with Elizabeth, her parents and her little brother Mateo, 7, who had months ago shaved his head in solidarity with his big sister.
Liz’s mom had said in June that doctors had told Elizabeth she had between six months and three years to live, and that her diagnosis prompted the teen to post a “bucket list” online of all the things she wanted to photograph, Sky News reported.
At Windsor Castle, Elizabeth was put to work: She got to photograph other guests of the royal couple and Kate and William shared the snaps on their Instagram, including one showing the prince knighting cyclist Sir Mark Cavendish.
READ: Princess Kate Announces She Has Finished Chemotherapy With New Video Of Her Family
“Such a lovely, genuine and kind people,” Elizabeth wrote on her Instagram Story, regarding the meeting with the royal couple. “I’m over the moon that my family and I had this experience.”
The meeting comes less than a month after Kate shared a major update on her health journey.
“I cannot tell you what a relief it is to have finally completed my chemotherapy treatment,” Kate—who shares kids Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6, with William—said in a Sept. 9 video message. “The last nine months have been incredibly tough for us as a family.”
She continued, “Doing what I can to stay cancer free is now my focus. Although I have finished chemotherapy, my path to healing and full recovery is long and I must continue to take each day as it comes.”
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