The whole world was watching when Prince Harry and Meghan Markle embarked on their first royal tour together. The couple visited Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Tonga, meeting members of the public and sharing details about Meghan’s pregnancy.
And while they celebrated their six-month anniversary last night, they were also struck by some very sad news.
Last night, a teenager who met the couple during their royal tour sadly passed away.
Eva McGauley, 18, met the Duke and Duchess of Sussex while they were in New Zealand as part of their two-week tour. At the age of sixteen, Eva was diagnosed with asopharyngeal carcinoma, a rare form of head and neck cancer, and had been fighting the illness ever since.
After meeting the royals in October, she excitedly shared the experience with her friends online.
‘I have had the most amazing morning!’ she said.
‘I am so honoured and thankful to have been invited to Government House to meet with Meghan and Harry this morning.
‘They are such kind down to earth people who were really interested in the work EvasWish does. We were welcomed so warmly by Dame Patsy Reedy and Sir David Gascoigne into their lovely home and it was one of the most memorable and wonderful moments of my life.’
The sad news of her passing was shared by Eva’s family on social media.
‘We are heartbroken to tell you all that Eva left us yesterday morning,’ they wrote.
‘It was very fast and peaceful and she was surrounded by her loved ones. Thank you so much to all of you who have followed Eva’s journey and supported her dreams.’
We interviewed the inspirational teenager about her foundation, Eva’s Wish, here.
Our thoughts are with Eva’s family and friends at this time.
This article originally appeared on marie claire UK
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