Kate back in the royal spotlight with emotional meeting

Princess Catherine has helped a teenage cancer sufferer achieve a “bucket list” dream as the royal continues to make a tentative return to work.

Princess Catherine has shared an emotional hug with a teenage cancer sufferer at Windsor Castle as the future Queen continued to make tentative steps in her return to work.

In a moving meeting, the Prince and Princess of Wales met with 16-year-old budding photographer, Liz Hatton, who is battling a rare and aggressive cancer with doctors giving her between six months to three years to live.

Princess Catherine embraces a teenage cancer sufferer at Windsor Castle. Picture: Instagram

The royal couple also met with Liz’s parents at the late Queen’s beloved residence on the same day Prince William held an investiture ceremony, which the teen was invited to photograph as part of her “bucket list”.

“A pleasure to meet with Liz at Windsor today. A talented young photographer whose creativity and strength has inspired us both,” the Prince and Princess of Wales wrote on social media.

“Thank you for sharing your photos and story with us,” they wrote, adding a love heart emoji, sharing Liz’s photos across their social media accounts.

Prince William and Princess Catherine with 16-year-old cancer sufferer Liz Hatton and her family. Picture: Instagram

The couple signed the post “W&C,” using the initials of their first names to signal that the message came directly from them and not their communications team.

Prince William reportedly became aware of the teen through the London Air Ambulance Charity, where he serves as patron.

In May, Liz’s mother Vicky Hatton shared her daughter’s “photography bucket list” to X in a post that has since received thousands of likes and shares.

The 16-year-old’s interest in photography also connects her to Princess Catherine in a meaningful way as the princess is well known for her photography, describing herself as an “enthusiastic amateur photographer”.

The princess, alongside her family, released a video message where she revealed how “incredibly tough” her cancer diagnosis had been on her family. Picture: Kensington Palace

She serves as patron of The Royal Photographic Society and often hops behind the camera to take pictures of her children Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6, for their birthdays or other major family moments.

The Windsor Castle meeting marked another step in Princess Catherine’s return to public life after spending much of this year out of the spotlight as she faced her own cancer journey.

After undergoing abdominal surgery in January, the princess later revealed she had been diagnosed with an unnamed cancer and that she was undergoing chemotherapy. She announced in September that she had completed treatment.

Originally published as Kate back in the royal spotlight with emotional meeting